Kate Brown JD ’85

Kate Brown JD ’85, former Oregon governor, spoke with the Harvard Political Review in August 2023 about her time in office; her support of progressive policies, such as the commutation of death row sentences and pardons for marijuana convictions; and her ideas about the issues Oregon still faces.

Kate Brown JD ’85, the governor of Oregon, was elected vice chair of the Western Governors’ Association. She joins incoming chair Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota, in providing leadership for the association’s regional policy work. The Western Governors’ Association was established in 1984 to foster nonpartisan policy development, the exchange of information, and collective action on issues of critical importance to 19 Western states and 3 U.S. territories in the Pacific.