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| Soon-to-be-former-Gov. John A. Kitzhaber, M.D. (source: The Statesman Journal) |
His public statement can be read at The Statesman Journal.
In accordance with Article V, Section 8a of the Oregon Constitution, Secretary of State Kate Brown will take over as Governor until the next biennial general election (November, 2016), and will appoint someone to serve out the remainder of her term (which ends at the same time). At that point, both seats are up for grabs; Mrs. Brown gets to decide whether to run to keep the Governor's seat for the remaining two years of the term, or step down and run for her normal Secretary of State re-election.
It's always a sad day when a scandal-wracked executive needs to resign, but we can't say we didn't see this coming.
Stay safe.
Sooooooo.... what was the REAL reason?
ReplyDeleteNobody knows yet. According to his statement, he "cannot in good conscience continue to be the element that undermines [the Office of the Governor]" and has "always tried to do the right thing and now the right thing to do is to step aside."
DeleteI'll probably end up doing a follow-up post with my personal reactions and thoughts, but there's too much churning in my head to sift through. The resignation statement may need a fisking, too, but that I'm not so much worried about. What I AM worried about is what "Governor Kate Brown" will come to mean over the next 2-4 years. I'll cover my thoughts on that in the follow-up.