Tina Kotek

Imagine a captain of a big ship, steering it through the ocean. Tina Kotek is like that captain for the state of Oregon! She was born a long, long time ago, on September 30, 1966. Now, she's the boss, called the Governor, of Oregon. She makes sure things run smoothly and helps people in her state. She's been working hard for Oregon for many years, making important choices to help everyone.

Before becoming Governor, Tina Kotek was like a super-helper in a big meeting called the Oregon House of Representatives. She was there for a really long time, from 2007 to 2022! For many of those years, she was the 'Speaker,' which means she was in charge of that meeting, making sure everyone's ideas were heard.

She's been the Speaker for longer than almost anyone else in Oregon's history – that's like being the captain of the playground for nine whole years!

One of Tina Kotek's biggest jobs is making sure everyone in Oregon has a safe place to live. She really cares about building more houses. Imagine if your favorite toy store didn't have enough toys for everyone who wanted one – that's kind of like a housing shortage!

Tina helped make a rule so that more kinds of houses, like duplexes (two homes in one building) and even fourplexes, can be built in neighborhoods. This helps more people find homes.

Tina Kotek is super special because she's the first openly lesbian woman to be a Speaker of a state house in the whole United States! That's a big deal and shows that anyone can be a leader. She's also one of the first openly lesbian women to be elected Governor. She's a role model for many people, showing that with hard work and dedication, you can achieve amazing things and help your community.