John Kitzhaber

John Kitzhaber
Name	John Kitzhaber
Caption	Kitzhaber in 2011
Order	35th and 37th
Office	Governor of Oregon
Term start1	January 9, 1995
Term end1	January 13, 2003
Lieutenant1	Phil Keisling, Jackie Winters
Predecessor1	Barbara Roberts
Successor1	Ted Kulongoski
Term start2	January 10, 2011
Term end2	February 18, 2015
Lieutenant2	Kate Brown
Predecessor2	Ted Kulongoski
Successor2	Kate Brown
Office3	61st President of the Oregon Senate
Term start3	1985
Term end3	1993
Predecessor3	Ed Fadeley
Successor3	Bill Bradbury
Birth date	5 March 1947
Birth place	Colfax, Washington
Party	Democratic
Spouse	* Sharon LaCroix (div.) * Diane Eaton (div.) * Cylvia Hayes (sep.)
Alma mater	Dartmouth College (BA), Oregon Health & Science University (MD)
Profession	Physician, politician

John Kitzhaber is an American physician and politician who served as the 35th and 37th Governor of Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the only person in the state's history to be elected to the office four times, serving from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2011 until his resignation in 2015. His tenure was marked by significant focus on health care reform, environmental policy, and education, though it ended amid a high-profile political scandal involving his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes.

Early life and education

John Albert Kitzhaber was born in Colfax, Washington, and grew up in Eugene, Oregon. His father, a World War II veteran, worked as a postal worker. Kitzhaber attended South Eugene High School before enrolling at Dartmouth College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology in 1969. He then returned to the Pacific Northwest to attend medical school at the University of Oregon Medical School, now known as Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), receiving his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1973. During this period, he developed a deep interest in emergency medicine and public health policy.

Medical career

After completing his medical degree, Kitzhaber undertook his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. He returned to Oregon to practice as an emergency physician in Roseburg, where he co-founded the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center's emergency department. His clinical experience, particularly witnessing the financial burdens of uninsured patients, profoundly shaped his political views on health care. He became a prominent advocate for systemic reform, authoring the groundbreaking Oregon Health Plan while serving in the Oregon Legislative Assembly.

Political career

Kitzhaber's political career began with his election to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1978, representing parts of Douglas County. He was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1980 and served as the President of the Oregon Senate from 1985 to 1993, a period of significant legislative activity. As Senate President, he was the chief architect of the Oregon Health Plan, a pioneering Medicaid expansion that used a prioritized list of health services to extend coverage to more low-income residents. This model attracted national attention and was studied by policymakers including the Clinton administration.

Governorship

First elected in 1994, Kitzhaber's initial two terms as governor were defined by his "Oregon Shines" economic development strategy and continued advocacy for the Oregon Health Plan. He championed environmental protection measures, including the Oregon Salmon Plan and efforts to protect old-growth forests. After a hiatus, he was elected again in 2010, campaigning on issues like health care exchange creation under the Affordable Care Act and education reform. His final term was dominated by the troubled rollout of the Cover Oregon health insurance website and an influence-peddling scandal involving his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, which led to a criminal investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice and his eventual resignation in February 2015.

Post-governorship and legacy

Following his resignation, Kitzhaber largely retreated from public life, though he remained an occasional commentator on health policy. In 2017, he reached a settlement with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, paying a fine for ethics violations. His legacy is complex; he is widely credited as a visionary on health care reform, with the Oregon Health Plan serving as a model for other states. However, his final term is often overshadowed by the Cover Oregon failure and the ethics scandal. Historians note his significant impact on Oregon politics, particularly in merging health policy with budgetary and moral philosophy.

Personal life

Kitzhaber has been married three times: first to Sharon LaCroix, with whom he has a son; then to Diane Eaton, a former Oregon State Capitol staffer; and finally to Cylvia Hayes, an environmental consultant whose business activities during his governorship became central to the ethics investigation. An avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman, he has long been associated with conservation efforts in Oregon. He resides in Portland and maintains a professional affiliation with Oregon Health & Science University.

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Governors of Oregon Category:Oregon Democrats Category:Oregon state senators Category:American emergency physicians Category:People from Eugene, Oregon Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Oregon Health & Science University alumni