John Kitzhaber

For an article on the story of his resignation, see Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

John Kitzhaber

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Oregon House of Representatives

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Oregon State Senate

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Governor of Oregon

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Education

High school

South Eugene High School, 1965

Bachelor's

Dartmouth College, 1968

Medical

Oregon Health & Science University, 1973

Personal

Religion

Nondenominational

Profession

Doctor

Contact

Personal Facebook

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John Albert Kitzhaber (b. March 5, 1947 in Colfax, Washington) is a former Democratic Governor of Oregon. He previously served as the 35th governor from 1995-2003. Kitzhaber began his political career in the Oregon Legislature, serving one term in the House and three in the Senate.

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from office on February 13, 2015, with Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) assuming office on February 18. To learn more about this story, jump to the story in our Political career section.

Kitzhaber ran for an unprecedented fourth term in 2014. In December 2013, Governing named Kitzhaber as one of the nine Public Officials of the Year.

A physician by trade, Kitzhaber focused on healthcare policy during his political career. During his time in the legislature, Kitzhaber listed his "most memorable achievement" as working to create the Oregon Health Plan, which provided healthcare coverage to low-income citizens. After his first two terms as governor, Kitzhaber continued to work on improving access to cost-effective healthcare, an issue that led him to seek the office once again in 2010.

Biography

Education

• Oregon Health & Science University, M.D., 1973
• Dartmouth College, 1968
• South Eugene High School, 1965

Career

Originally from Colfax, Washington, Kitzhaber moved to Oregon when he was 11. He graduated from South Eugene High School in 1965, Dartmouth College in 1969 and Oregon Health & Science University with a medical degree in 1973.

Beginning in 1974, Kitzhaber practiced in rural Roseburg, Oregon, as an emergency physician. This led to his interest in healthcare policy, and his first run for public office.

Kitzhaber serves, or has previously served, in several roles outside his duties as governor, including, but not limited to:

• Director, Center for Evidence Based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University
• Endowed chair in health care policy, The Foundation for Medical Excellence
• President, Estes Park Institute
• Founder, Archimedes Movement

Political career

Governor of Oregon (1995-2003, 2011-2015)

Upon leaving the Senate, Kitzhaber ran for and was elected governor in 1994; in his first term he passed the Oregon Children's Plan. He went on to win re-election and served until 2003. Oregon's term limit laws do not limit the total number of terms one person may serve, but they do limit an individual to two consecutive terms.

Following the end of his second term, Kitzhaber returned to the medical field and became involved with several nonprofits and educational groups. Much of his work was directed at increasing government funding of and involvement in medical care. In 2009, he announced he would seek a third term in office. He was elected to a third term as Governor in 2010 and a fourth term in 2014.

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from office on February 13, 2015, in the face of ethics allegations that emerged in October 2014. He left office on February 18, with Secretary of State Kate Brown assuming the office until a special election for the remainder of Kitzhaber's term in November 2016.

Ethics concerns for first lady

See also: Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and John Kitzhaber recall, Oregon (2015)

Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

Term in office: 1995-2003, 2011-2015

Next in succession: Secretary of State Kate Brown (D)

Related pages Resignation overview February 11 story February 13 story Impeachment amendment Recall effort Cylvia Hayes Kate Brown Ellen Rosenblum Governor of Oregon Governor Vacancy process

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from office on February 13, 2015, effective February 18. The following sections detail the story surrounding Kitzhaber's resignation.

Ethics concerns before 2014 election

On October 13, 2014, Kitzhaber requested an investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission into whether his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, used her access to the governor's office to improve her consulting business. A story in the Willamette Week indicated that Hayes advised Kitzhaber about economic and energy issues while also providing consulting services in the same policy areas. On February 5, 2015, Kitzhaber announced that Hayes would no longer serve as a policy advisor following conflict of interest allegations. Oregon's government ethics regulations are designed to prevent conflicts of interest among public officials. Hayes did not receive payments from the state when advising Kitzhaber, but the governor's general counsel, Liani Reeves, noted that she was considered a public official due to her dual role as advisor and first lady.

Kitzhaber's aides said that all contracts and policy documents were reviewed prior to approval to comply with state ethics laws. Hayes stated that accusations about conflicts of interest were inaccurate and that she worked as an advisor and outside consultant to ensure "a clean economy and more sustainable future for Oregon." Dennis Richardson (R), Kitzhaber's opponent in the 2014 election, called his administration "inept and unethical."

Financial disclosures

Three ethics complaints were filed against Kitzhaber following his October 13 request, including an October 15 complaint by the Oregon Republican Party, an October 16 complaint by state Rep. Vicki Berger (R) and an October 30 complaint by 2014 Democratic primary foe Ifeanyichukwu Diru. The seven-member ethics commission held no meetings prior to the November 4 general election. A hearing in March 2015 would have determined if the commission proceeded with a formal investigation of these complaints, though Kitzhaber's resignation cast doubt about the commission's role in future investigations.

Disclosures made to the commission in January 2015 revealed $213,000 in earnings as a consultant from 2011 to 2014, including $118,000 in unreported payments from the Clean Economy Development Center. These totals were at odds with statements made by the governor and his staff as well as federal income tax documents from that period. The editorial board of The Oregonian made national news by calling for Kitzhaber's resignation on February 4, given the paper's endorsement of the governor during his previous election bids.

Emails about Genuine Progress Indicator

On February 6, 2015, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services released emails between Hayes, Kitzhaber and department director Michael Jordan regarding a new economic policy called the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). These emails, sent between April 2013 and April 2014, revealed Hayes' close involvement in implementing the policy. Hayes was under contract with Demos, a New York-based think tank, from June to November 2013. Hayes sent an email to Jordan requesting a meeting on May 13, 2013, to discuss challenges for the GPI, only three days after signing a contract with Demos. An email from October 30, 2013, requested $125,000 to launch the GPI and listed Hayes and Demos among the "Oregon GPI Team."

Emails from the same period showed Kitzhaber's efforts to hire Sean McGuire, an advisor under contract with Demos. McGuire had previously worked with Demos to install the GPI, a measurement of economic progress that takes into account well-being and productivity, in Maryland. On December 30, 2013, Kitzhaber lobbied Jordan to hire McGuire, indicating that he was the "best person to do this work...and we need to find a way to bring him on." McGuire was hired in spring 2014 for a one-year contract totaling $65,000, though Jordan downplayed suggestions that Kitzhaber pressured him into the decision.

Investigation by Attorney General

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) announced on February 9 that she was initiating a criminal investigation of Kitzhaber and Hayes. She announced the investigation on the same day as Kitzhaber publicly requested a criminal investigation of his administration. The attorney general's office has the ability to request records, issue subpoenas to witnesses and charge the governor and his advisors with illegal activity. Rosenblum delayed an investigation because she was concerned about her office's role as attorney for the executive branch, though former state officials argued that she was responsible for investigating corruption within the branch. Republican legislators including Ted Ferrioli supported the investigation, but argued that a special prosecutor should be appointed to eliminate concerns about Rosenblum's objectivity in dealing with a fellow Democratic official.

On February 20, defense attorney Janet Hoffman sent a request to halt review of Kitzhaber's emails by the attorney general until she had an opportunity to evaluate the documents. Hoffman argued that the former governor's personal emails were co-mingled with official emails without his permission. She also argued that DAS did not "legitimately possess" personal emails, invalidating the documents from becoming evidence in state or federal investigations. Hoffman also requested an independent investigation into leaks of Kitzhaber's emails to Willamette Weekly and The Oregonian.

The state ethics commission suspended its investigation on February 11.

Speculation about resignation

On February 11, local and national media speculated that Kitzhaber could resign from office. The governor canceled a Valentine's Day appearance with Tigard-based Friends of Trees on that day. The head of Friends of Trees, Scott Fogarty, noted that the plans were tentative and saw no connection with ongoing ethics concerns. Jim McDermott, an attorney representing Kitzhaber, told reporters on the 11th that the governor had no intention of resigning. Kitzhaber confirmed McDermott's statement later in the day in an interview with The Statesman Journal.

Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) also stoked speculation by ending a trip to Washington, D.C., two days early to return home on the 11th.

Kitzhaber denies intent to resign

Late in the day on February 11, Kitzhaber issued an official statement denying that he had any intention of resigning: "Let me be as clear as I was last week, that I have no intention of resigning as Governor of the state of Oregon."

Sources report Kitzhaber change-of-heart

On February 12, multiple outlets reported that Kitzhaber told aides on the 8th that he would resign, requested Brown's return to Salem and met with legislative leaders on the 10th before reconsidering resignation on the 11th.

Kate Brown's February 12 statement

Brown issued a statement in the mid-afternoon on February 12 saying that her return to Oregon on February 11 was requested by Kitzhaber but that when she returned and met with him, he asked her why she had returned to the state. She described this back-and-forth as "bizarre."

The following is Brown's full statement:

“

Late Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from the Governor while I was in Washington, DC at a Secretaries of State conference. He asked me to come back to Oregon as soon as possible to speak with him in person and alone. I got on a plane yesterday morning and arrived at 3:40 in the afternoon. I was escorted directly into a meeting with the Governor. It was a brief meeting. He asked me why I came back early from Washington, DC, which I found strange. I asked him what he wanted to talk about. The Governor told me he was not resigning, after which, he began a discussion about transition. This is clearly a bizarre and unprecedented situation. I informed the Governor that I am ready, and my staff will be ready, should he resign. Right now I am focused on doing my job for the people of Oregon.

”

Legislative leaders, treasurer call for resignation

On the same afternoon as Brown's statement, Senate President Pete Courtney (D), House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler (D) called on Kitzhaber to resign from office. The trio announced their support for Kitzhaber's resignation following an emergency caucus of state Democrats. Wheeler made the following statement to The Oregonian:

“	It is with deep sadness that I ask Governor John Kitzhaber to resign his position as Governor of Oregon. He has accomplished many great things during his long career, and history will be kinder to him than current events suggest. Unfortunately, the current situation has become untenable, and I cannot imagine any scenario by which things improve. Oregon deserves a Governor who is fully focused on the duties of state. I hope the Governor will do the right thing for Oregon and its citizens.	”
—The Oregonian, (2015)

Attempted deletion of personal emails

A records request by Willamette Week and 101.9 FM KINK in Oregon found that the governor's office ordered the deletion of emails from Kitzhaber's personal account on February 5. The order, sent by executive assistant Jan Murdock, asked for all messages in Kitzhaber's personal email to be removed from servers. Several supervisors at the Department of Administrative Service's Technology Support Center refused to comply with the order. Any personal emails used to discuss government business would be considered public records according to the state's open records laws.

Attorney general order for Hayes emails

On February 12, Rosenblum ordered Hayes to deliver personal emails related to state business to The Oregonian following a public records request by the newspaper on December 29, 2014. Attorney Whitney Boise, speaking on behalf of Hayes, argued to Rosenblum that his client's emails were private because she was not a public official. This claim was rejected by Rosenblum's office, which issued the order based on the fact that Hayes worked "extensively on government matters." Hayes had to comply with the attorney general's order or seek an injunction by February 19.

February 13 resignation

Kitzhaber announced his resignation from the governor's office on the morning of Friday, February 13. His resignation became effective on Wednesday, February 18. In a statement to the media, Kitzhaber stated:

“	I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon. It is not in my nature to walk away from a job I have undertaken – it is to stand and fight for the cause. For that reason I apologize to all those people who gave of their faith, time, energy and resources to elect me to a fourth term last year and who have supported me over the past three decades. I promise you that I will continue to pursue our shared goals and our common cause in another venue. I must also say that it is deeply troubling to me to realize that we have come to a place in the history of this great state of ours where a person can be charged, tried, convicted and sentenced by the media with no due process and no independent verification of the allegations involved. But even more troubling – and on a very personal level as someone who has given 35 years of public service to Oregon – is that so many of my former allies in common cause have been willing to simply accept this judgment at its face value. It is something that is hard for me to comprehend – something we might expect in Washington, D.C. but surely not in Oregon. I do not know what it means for our shared future but I do know that it is seriously undermining civic engagement in this state and the quality of the public discourse that once made Oregon stand out from the pack. Nonetheless, I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life. As a former presiding officer I fully understand the reasons for which I have been asked to resign. I wish Speaker Kotek and President Courtney and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle success in this legislative session and beyond. And I hope that they are truly committed to carrying forward the spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration that has marked the last four years in Oregon.	”
—Oregon Public Broadcasting, (2015)

Federal subpoena

Copy of subpoena available here

On February 12, federal prosecutors issued a subpoena to the Department of Administrative Services for emails and records from Kitzhaber, Hayes and other members of the outgoing administration. The subpoena also sought records of payments to Hayes and her firm, 3E Strategies. All subpoenaed documents were presented to a federal grand jury scheduled to convene on March 10.

Federal prosecutors end investigation with no criminal charges

On June 16, 2017, federal prosecutors ended the investigation into Kitzhaber and Hayes without pressing criminal charges. The investigation involved the U.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon, the FBI, and criminal divisions of the Justice Department and the IRS.

On June 20, 2017, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission restarted its investigation, which had been suspended in February 2015.

Ethics commission finds violation of state ethics laws

In November 2017, the ethics commission released a preliminary report outlining four counts of state ethics violations. The commission and Kitzhaber negotiated an agreement to fine Kitzhaber $1,000 for three violations. Commissioners rejected the agreement 7 to 1.

On January 5, 2018, the ethics commission unanimously voted that Hayes violated state ethics laws 22 times.

Second ethics commission report and vote

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission released a second report on February 14, 2018, expanding Kitzhaber's violations of state ethics laws from four to 11: seven counts of conflicts of interest, three counts of misuse of office for financial gain, and one count of improper gift receipt.

On February 16, the ethics commission voted unanimously that Kitzhaber committed 10 of the 11 ethics violations detailed in the report. The commission dropped one alleged violation—allowing a staff member to care for Hayes’ pets.

Before the commission's vote, Kitzhaber acknowledged responsibility for 10 out of 11 alleged violations but disputed that he had used his public office for personal gain.

Ethics violations can result in up to $5,000 in fines per violation if there is no appeal or settlement. An appeal would go to the state Office of Administrative Hearings. If the results were still disputed, an appeal would go to the Oregon Court of Appeals and then to the Oregon Supreme Court.

On March 28, 2018, Kitzhaber agreed to pay a $20,000 fine in a negotiated settlement.

State Senate (1980-1993)

Following a single term in the lower House, Kitzhaber was elected to the first of what became three Senate terms. During his legislative tenure, he was elected Senate President in 1985 and used his position to draft and pass the Oregon Health Plan.

State House of Representatives (1978-1980)

Kitzhaber made his first bid for elected office in 1978 when he campaigned successfully for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Noteworthy events

Issues

Medicaid

In 2011, Oregon faced a $2 billion Medicaid deficit, which led Kitzhaber to strike a deal with the Obama administration where the federal government would give the state $1.9 billion over five years as long as the state's Medicaid program grew at a rate 2 percent slower than the rest of the nation.

Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")

In December 2012, Kitzhaber declined to enter Oregon into the federal health-exchange system established under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as "Obamacare," in favor of setting up a state-based system. Oregon is one of 18 states - including Colorado, Maryland, New York, New Mexico and Washington - that decided to create and run individual health-exchange systems by the deadline on December 14, 2012. The exchange is an online marketplace for citizens to purchase health insurance.

Death penalty

Kitzhaber believed that Oregon's death penalty laws were "compromised and inequitable," and he favored giving murderers life sentences without possibility for parole. When he first took office in 1995, he pledged not to allow any executions to be administered while he was governor, but during his first term, two prisoners were voluntarily executed. In December 2011, during his third term as governor, Kitzhaber, determined to recommit to his initial pledge, issued an order to delay the execution of twice-convicted murderer Gary Haugen. Haugen rejected the reprieve and brought the matter to court. In August 2012, Circuit Court Senior Judge Timothy Alexander ruled that Haugen was not obligated to accept Kitzhaber's pardon, due partially to its impermanence; the reprieve would only remain in effect for as long as Kitzhaber held the office.

Oregon has twice outlawed the death penalty and twice legalized it, most recently in 1984. In pushing this case, the governor sought to provoke a "public re-evaluation" about the death penalty, which could have led voters to initiate a ballot measure for its repeal, but the case had the unintended consequence of probing the boundaries of the governor's authority. Judge Alexander's ruling laid down limits to the governor's power over the fates of condemned prisoners, limits with which Kitzhaber and his lawyers disagreed.

Gun control

According to Tim Raphael, Kitzhaber's spokesman, gun control was on the governor's agenda for 2013. "The Governor sees no reason for civilians to have assault weapons – period. He's directed staff to research a range of options for him to consider on firearms regulation, mental health, and school safety measures that could be the basis for a comprehensive approach to the problem," Raphael stated.

Job creation ranking

A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Kitzhaber was ranked number 20. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.

Elections

2014

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2014

Kitzhaber ran for re-election to the office of Governor of Oregon. Kitzhaber won the Democratic nomination in the primary. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Results

Primary election

Kitzhaber easily overcame one little-known challenger to win the primary.

Governor of Oregon, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Kitzhaber Incumbent	89.6%	286,654
Ifeanyichukwu Diru	8.7%	27,833
Write-ins	1.7%	5,388
Total Votes		319,875
Election results via Oregon Secretary of State.

General election

Governor of Oregon, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kitzhaber Incumbent	49.9%	733,230
	Republican	Dennis Richardson	44.1%	648,542
	Pacific Green	Jason Levin	2%	29,561
	Libertarian	Paul Grad	1.5%	21,903
	Constitution	Aaron Auer	1.1%	15,929
	Progressive	Chris Henry	0.9%	13,898
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.5%	6,654
Total Votes				1,469,717
Election results via Oregon Secretary of State

Endorsements

• Oregon Business Association

Race background

See also: Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

Incumbent John Kitzhaber previously served as Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and was running for a fourth non-consecutive term in 2014. He highlighted taxes and job creation.

Republican opponent Dennis Richardson and his supporters highlighted a false start for the state's Cover Oregon health exchange that reportedly cost taxpayers $250 million.

Kitzhaber also drew criticism over potential conflicts of interest by first lady and advisor Cylvia Hayes. Richardson echoed these concerns. Kitzhaber requested an investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission into whether Hayes leveraged her role in the governor's office to improve her consulting business. The seven-member ethics commission had no scheduled meetings prior to the November 4 general election. To read more about the story, click here.

2010

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2010 and Gubernatorial elections, 2010

General election
On November 2, 2010, John Kitzhaber won election to the office of Governor of Oregon. He defeated Chris Dudley, Wes Wagner and Greg Kord in the general election.

Governor of Oregon, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kitzhaber	49.3%	716,525
	Republican	Chris Dudley	47.8%	694,287
	Constitution	Greg Kord	1.4%	20,475
	Libertarian	Wes Wagner	1.3%	19,048
	Miscellaneous	-	0.2%	3,213
Total Votes				1,453,548
Election results via Oregon Secretary of State.

Primary election

2010 Race for Governor - Democrat Primary
Candidates		Percentage
Bill Bradbury (D)		29.46%
John Kitzhaber (D)		64.78%
Roger Obrist (D)		4.29%
(write-in)		1.47%
Total votes		374,404

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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John Kitzhaber campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2014	Governor of Oregon	Won	$5,264,547	N/A**
2010	Governor of Oregon	Won	$7,668,152	N/A**
1998	Governor of Oregon	Won	$1,294,814	N/A**
1994	Governor of Oregon	Won	$2,519,965	N/A**
Grand total			$16,747,478	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
From 1993 to 2003, Kitzhaber was married to Sharon LaCroix. Their divorce was finalized shortly after the end of his second gubernatorial term. They have one son, Logan.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "John + Kitzhaber + Oregon + Governor"

John Kitzhaber News Feed

See also

• Governor of Oregon

External links

Suggest a link

• Oregon Governor website

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
• Biographies:
  • NNDB
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Wikipedia
• Executive actions:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Fact-checking:
  • PolitiFact
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Works by or about:
  • WorldCat
• Media appearances:
  • IMDb

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• Collected news at The Oregonian

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Ted Kulongoski (D)	Governor of Oregon 2011-2015	Succeeded by Kate Brown (D)
Preceded by Barbara Roberts	Governor of Oregon 1995-2003	Succeeded by Ted Kulongoski (D)