Skip to main content
Date: May 15
What happened: After a strong start to her first term in 2023, Gov. Tina Kotek saw five senior aides, including her chief of staff, depart abruptly in the spring. The departures came as a surprise in Salem because those who left were highly regarded and loyal. As WW and other media probed the cause of the untimely exodus, the reason became clear: It was conflict over the role of Kotek’s wife, first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson. Emails obtained by WW showed that Kotek Wilson, a former social worker, took part in staff policy meetings and personnel decisions despite having no official role in her wife’s administration. WW reported that the first lady also met with mental health leaders seeking to shape state policy and pharmaceutical reps hoping to do business with the state.
What’s happened since: Kotek has restocked her staff, primarily elevating existing aides to new, more senior positions. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission, in a hotly contested decision, dismissed complaints against the governor June 28. Kotek Wilson still spends time in her wife’s office but has reportedly pulled back from policy matters. “The first lady has continued her role as a volunteer and public official,” says Kotek spokeswoman Elisabeth Shepard. In addition to joining Kotek on visits to Oregon’s nine tribes, Kotek Wilson “has represented the governor’s office at several public openings commemorating new mental health and addiction capacity in the state.” The governor’s ambitious housing plan (she hoped to see 36,000 new units granted building permits this year) is sputtering, and her pledges to fix the state’s struggling mental health care delivery and raise K–12 achievement scores have yet to bear fruit. That has led to chatter in the lobby that Kotek won’t seek a second term in 2026, a prospect her campaign adviser, Thomas Wheatley, dismisses. “The governor is laser focused on making housing more affordable, expanding access to behavioral health care, and improving our schools,” Wheatley says. “As for future plans—she doesn’t see this work as done, and she’s not the kind of person who ever leaves a job undone.”