Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, set to become the nation's first openly bisexual governor on Wednesday, is an under-the-radar liberal Democrat known for her struggles to expand voting and her push for greater campaign finance transparency.
Governor John Kitzhaber resigned his post on Friday amid influence-peddling allegations involving his fiancee that have triggered a criminal corruption probe and led to a frenzy of criticism from prominent fellow Democrats.
"This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward," Brown told reporters in brief remarks outside her office in Salem after Kitzhaber said he would resign, effective on Wednesday.
In addition to becoming the nation's first openly bisexual governor, Brown will also be the second woman to hold Oregon's top elected office. She has commented publicly about her bisexuality and lives in Portland with her husband.
Brown has touted her work to create an online database for campaign donations and in passing comprehensive civil rights and domestic partnership laws.
But critics accused her playing partisan politics when she delayed a 2012 election for labor commissioner, a move perceived as helping a fellow Democrat, the Oregonian newspaper reported.
Brown declined to discuss her political agenda with reporters on Friday, and some lawmakers have expressed concern the Portland liberal could be less effective than Kitzhaber at bipartisan politics.
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