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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders perfect on senior day Millers smother Grizz on senior night Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules High school Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Southern Oregon University Raiders perfect on senior day Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules Raiders sweep Hope Int., stay perfect Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Workers need more power Landgren cartoon: Disneyland measles outbreak Matthew T. Mangino: The government has access to your emails Our View: Support schools — again Editorial Our View: Support schools — again Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Workers need more power Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Jeffrey Gillespie: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington Editor's Notes: More local content in the Tidings Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Revels Latest Stories 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brett Dennen plays the old Ashland Armory Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Best Bets: Feb. 12-19 Theater 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Comment By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 8:46 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 11:01 PM By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 8:46 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Social News PORTLAND — The resignation of Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber instantly promoted the liberal Democrat who is next in line to succeed him: the 54-year-old secretary of state who long has been thought to have her eye on Oregon's top elected position. Kate Brown, who is widely considered to be to the left of the departing Democratic governor, will also become the first openly bisexual governor in the nation. She will not assume office until Wednesday, when Kitzhaber's resignation takes effect. He is stepping down amid suspicions that his fiancee used their relationship to land contracts for her green-energy consulting business. "This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward," Brown said Friday. "I know you all have a lot of questions, and I will answer them as soon as possible. As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done between now and Wednesday." Unlike most states, Oregon has no lieutenant governor. Under the state constitution, the secretary of state takes over if a governor steps down or dies. That has happened eight times since statehood, according to the Blue Book, the state government almanac. Until recent weeks, the assumptions were that Kitzhaber would finish his full, fourth term and Brown would be a top contender in 2018 to succeed him. The new job will require her to start running for election immediately, said Ron Cease, a retired professor of political science and public administration at Portland State University who served in the Legislature with Brown. Brown would not serve out Kitzhaber's full term, but would have to go on the ballot in the next general election in 2016. "I would think the stress level is going to be enormous," Cease said. Brown, a Minnesota native, came to Oregon to attend law school in Portland and established a family law practice before her first run for the Legislature. Her sexuality has never been a prominent issue in Oregon, where Portland recently had an openly gay mayor in Sam Adams and where the current speaker of the House, Tina Kotek, is a lesbian. News accounts have long said Brown is married but considers herself bisexual, without elaborating. Her Blue Book biography says she lives in Portland with her husband, Dan. She still considers herself bisexual, her spokesman, Tony Green, said Friday. Democrat Jim McGreevey of New Jersey has been the nation's only openly gay governor. He came out during a scandal-plagued term and resigned in 2004. Mike Michaud, a Maine Democrat, lost a race last year that would have made him the first openly gay person elected governor. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed Brown in her two campaigns for secretary of state, in 2008 and 2012. The fund's executive director, Denis Dison, said that she would be the first openly bisexual governor. Former Secretary of State Phil Keisling vividly recalls Brown knocking on his door to ask for his vote during her first House primary, which she won by just seven votes. "Kate Brown is really a hard worker," said Keisling, now director of the Center for Public Service in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. "She cares a lot about public policy." Brown made improvements to the vote-by-mail system and has sought transparency in government, including instituting an online database for campaign finance, Keisling said. She also fought to pass a bill to register nearly every Oregonian to vote by signing them up through driver's license records. She failed to get that through the Legislature two years ago, when she could not summon a united front among Democrats. Republicans solidly opposed it, fearing it would add to the registration advantage that has propelled the Democrats to dominance in statewide offices. More Democratic legislative gains in 2014 make the prospects for her bill brighter in the session that began in earnest this month. At her latest inauguration, Brown pledged to ensure effective audits of government agencies and to ask the Legislature for authority to create an office to help small businesses navigate regulations. She also said it was time for Oregon to limit contributions to political campaigns. "I will put the strength of democracy before politics," she said. She was appointed to the Oregon House in 1991, when another Democrat left to take a new job, and was elected to two terms. She was then elected to the state Senate and in 2004 became the first woman to serve as majority leader. At this stage, "it's fair to say people just don't know who she is," Cease said, citing the lack of exposure for the secretary of state job. But, he added, Brown "cares about people. And there's nothing mean about her." Brown will need to appoint a fellow Democrat to take her place, according to Oregon law. By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By Tim Fought and Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 8:46 pm Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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