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John Kitzhaber
| John Kitzhaber | ||
 | ||
| Governor of Oregon | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1995-2003, 2011 - Present | ||
| Years in position (current service) | 2 | |
| Years in position (previous service) | 8 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | Ted Kulongoski | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $93,600 | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $11,809,663 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Governor of Oregon | ||
| January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 | ||
| Education | ||
| High school | South Eugene High School (1965) | |
| Bachelor's | Dartmouth College (1968) | |
| M.D. | Oregon Health & Science University (1973) | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | March 5, 1947 | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
Biography
Originally from Colfax, Washington, John Kitzhaber moved to Oregon when he was 11 and has lived in the state ever since. He graduated from South Eugene High School in 1965, Dartmouth College in 1969, and Oregon Health & Science University with a medical degree in 1973.[1]
Beginning in 1974, Kitzhaber practiced in rural Roseburg, Oregon as an emergency physician. This led to his interest in health care 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
Education
- Oregon Health & Science University, M.D., 1973
- Dartmouth College, 1968
- South Eugene High School, 1965
Political Career
Governor of Oregon (1995-2003, 2011-present)
Upon leaving the Senate, Kitzhaber ran for and was elected governor in 1994; in his first term he passed the Oregon Childrens' Plan. He went on to win re-election and served until 2003. Oregon's term limits law 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 non-profits and educational groups. Much of his work has been directed at increasing government funding of and involvement in medical care. He did not have the same success in lobbying for health care legislation he had known as Senate President and as Governor. In 2009, he announced he would seek a third term in office. He was elected in elected to an "unprecedented" third term as Governor in 2010.[1]
Issues
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.[2] Oregon is one of eighteen states - including Colorado, Maryland, New York, New Mexico, and Washington - that decided to create and run individual health-exchange systems by the December 14, 2012 deadline. The exchange is an online marketplace for citizens to purchase health insurance.[3][4]
Death Penalty
Kitzhaber believes that Oregon's death penalty laws are "compromised and inequitable,"[1] and he favors 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, now 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 Judgepedia: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 twice legalized it, most recently in 1984. In pushing this case, the governor sought to provoke a "public re-evaluation"[1] about the death penalty, which could lead to voters initiating 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 lays down limits to the governor's power over the fates of condemned prisoners, limits with which Kitzhaber and his lawyers disagree. The governor is expected to appeal the case to a higher court.
Gun control
According to Tim Raphael, Kitzhaber's spokeman, gun control is 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.[5]
State Senate (1980-1993)
Following a single term in the lower House, John 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 on the Oregon House of Representatives.
Elections
2014
- See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2014
Kitzhaber is eligible to run for re-election as Governor of Oregon in 2014. He has not yet made his intentions in the race known.
2010
- General Election
Kitzhaber faced Chris Dudley (R), Wes W. Wagner (L), and Gregory E. Kord (C) in the general election on November 2, 2010. [6]
| 2010 Oregon gubernatorial general election | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  John Kitzhaber
|
49.29% | |
| Republican Party | Chris Dudley | 47.76% | |
| Libertarian Party | Wes Wagner | 1.31% | |
| Constitution Party | Gregory E. Kord | 1.41% | |
| Other | write-ins | 0.22% | |
| Total Votes | 1,453,548 | ||
Primary
| 2010 Race for Governor - Democrat Primary [7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 donors
Comprehensive donor information for Kitzhaber is available dating back to 1994. Based on available campaign finance records, Kitzhaber raised a total of $11,809,663 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 13, 2013.[8]
| John Kitzhaber's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | Governor of Oregon |  |
$247,547 | |
| 2010 | Governor of Oregon | |
$7,746,150 | |
| 1998 | Governor of Oregon | |
$1,295,501 | |
| 1994 | Governor of Oregon | |
$2,520,465 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $11,809,663 | |||
1994-2010
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of John Kitzhaber's donors each year.[9] Click [show] for more information.
| John Kitzhaber's Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Governor of Oregon | 1998 Governor of Oregon | 1994 Governor of Oregon | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised | $7,746,150 | $1,295,501 | $2,520,465 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $10,489,552 (Republican) $2,796 (Libertarian) $1,185 (Conservative) | $1,035,608 (Republican) $6,747 (Libertarian) $4,168 (Pacific Party) $3,880 (Reform) $480 (Socialist) $315 (Nonpartisan) | $1,162,336 (Republican) $248,559 (American Party) $1,550 (2nd American Party candidate) $603 (Non-partisan) | ||||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | Democratic Governors Association | $1,170,087 | Carpenters Legislative Activities Selective Support | $95,000 | Oregon Public Employees | $65,300 | |||||||||||||
| Oregon Democratic Party | $259,171 | Oregon Education Association | $34,901 | Oregon Education Association | $62,960 | ||||||||||||||
| Who is Chris Dudley Committee | $250,000 | Oregon Laborers | $30,000 | Philip and Pat Knight | $50,200 | ||||||||||||||
| Oregon Public Employees Local 503 | $239,950 | Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 290 | $30,000 | Democratic Governors Association | $50,000 | ||||||||||||||
| Doctors for Healthy Communities | $180,000 | Wilshire Financial Services Group, Inc and William Furman | $25,000 | AFSCME | $35,000 | ||||||||||||||
| Individuals | $2,134,567 | $466,922 | $869,952 | ||||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $4,788,781 | $824,949 | $1,160,062 | ||||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $5,318,685 | $1,148,035 | $860,774 | ||||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $2,018,337 | $141,306 | $1,659,191 | ||||||||||||||||
Personal
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.[10]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "John + Kitzhaber + Oregon + Governor"
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
John Kitzhaber News Feed
- Oregon House approves foreclosure mediation expansion; bill headed to Gov ... - OregonLive.com
- Oregon governor signs immigrant driving bill - The Register-Guard
- Oregon governor to sign bill to cut pension expenses - Reuters
- John Kitzhaber's plan for tax, PERS bargain gets mixed reaction - OregonLive.com
- ASDSA Applauds Oregon Governor for Signing Under-18 Indoor Tanning ... - PR Web (press release)
- Without light rail, new span across Columbia is history, Oregon governor says - The Seattle Times
- Waldo Lake motor ban goes to Oregon governor - KVAL
- Dalai Lama: Cultivate Inner Peace to Save the Planet - Environment News Service
- Keystone passes House - Senate considers MacFarlane - Vitter stokes governor ... - Politico (blog)
- What comes after ObamaCare? John Kitzhaber's air conditioner... - BlueOregon
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
See also
External links
- Official Oregon State website
- John Kitzhaber on Facebook
- John Kitzhaber on Twitter
- Project Vote Smart biography
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010, 1998, 1994
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Governor of Oregon John Kitzhaber, "About John Kitzhaber," accessed July 10, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Most states miss deadline to set up health exchange," December 14, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Most states miss deadline to set up health exchange," December 14, 2012
- ↑ The Daily Times, "Governor Susana Martinez to tackle state-based health exchange," January 9, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "Where each state stands on gun-control legislation," January 14, 2013
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "November 2, 2010, General Election Abstracts of Votes - Governor", accessed December 22, 2010
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "May 18, 2010 Primary Election Abstract of Votes", accessed July 19, 2010
- ↑ Follow the Money, " Career fundraising for John Kitzhaber," accessed May 13, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money.org
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Kitzhaber Bio," accessed July 10, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ted Kulongoski (D) |
Governor of Oregon 2011-present |
Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by Barbara Roberts |
Governor of Oregon 1995-2003 |
Succeeded by Ted Kulongoski |
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