John,
Growing up, Tina learned from her first-generation American parents the value of hard work, being active in the community, and following your dreams.
She arrived from the East Coast in 1987 and fell in love with the Oregon, ultimately completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon. In her new home state, she found a place where she could truly be herself.
Tina came out as a lesbian in her early twenties and learned through her journey that advocating for herself and others was necessary to undermine bigotry and realize a just world for everyone. This commitment inspired her efforts in graduate school to fight for and win domestic partnership rights for students and faculty at the University of Washington.
After graduate school, Tina returned to Oregon and joined the team at Oregon Food Bank. During her time there, she honed her skills as an advocate for others who have been overlooked and underserved. She continued her advocacy work as the policy director at Children First for Oregon (now Our Children Oregon), and this experience working with nonprofits on behalf of Oregon’s most vulnerable led her to run and serve in the Oregon Legislature.
In 2013, Tina became the Oregon Speaker of the House. Through her leadership, the Oregon House passed progressive changes that expanded economic security for more families, combated climate change, and helped families in need during the pandemic.
Now Tina is running for Governor because she knows that Oregon needs a leader who’s ready to get to work on day one and knows that actions speak louder than words.
So please, will you contribute to elect Tina Kotek so that she can continue to fight for the people and families of Oregon? Any amount makes a difference and gets us one step closer to electing a proven leader who prioritizes justice, equity, and bringing people together.
Thank you for being on our team.
— Team Tina