Tina Kotek on Principles & Values

	Tina Kotek on Principles & Values

My sense of hope comes from my personal faith in God

I tend to think that a prerequisite for public service is a fundamental belief that "the future will be better"--a confidence in a brighter tomorrow, the potential for progress--basically, hope for the future. I know my sense of hope comes from my personal faith in God, as it does for many of you. The choices we make as leaders will have a ripple effect on generations to come, and the good choices will yield health, prosperity, and community resilience. Source: 2025 State of the State Address to the Oregon legislature , Jan 13, 2025

A person of faith, I believe there's equality among us all

Kotek says she believes that Oregon and the U.S. can be a place where there's more fairness and equality. "I'm a person of faith," she says. Kotek grew up Roman Catholic but now attends the Episcopal Church. "I believe that there's equality among us all. We don't need people who have so much money that everybody else has so little." The role of the government is to ensure that there aren't barriers in the way of allowing people to access opportunities to succeed, Kotek says. Source: Eugene Weekly on 2022 Oregon Gubernatorial race , Nov 24, 2021

Oregon is a state that has allowed me to be myself

In 2013, Tina Kotek made history when she was elected as Oregon's Speaker of the House and became the first out lesbian speaker in any state house in the country.

Kotek is also running to succeed Gov. Kate Brown (D), who is bisexual and became the first out LGBTQ governor in the country when she was elected in 2014. Brown can't seek another term because of term limits.

Running for governor of Oregon, Kotek could become the nation's first out lesbian governor. "It's an honor and frankly a privilege to be a trailblazer in this regard," Kotek told LGBTQ Nation. "I think for me it comes down to what message it sends to young people--It is still hard out there."

"I've had the good fortune to be in the position to do things that really improve the lives of Oregonians, and this is a state I love--and it's a state that has allowed me to be myself. It's a beautiful place and I want to give back. It's about making sure we can continue to improve people's lives."

Source: LGBTQ Nation on 2022 Oregon Gubernatorial race , Nov 18, 2021

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