Adding a touch of comedy to the drama, Kitzhaber reportedly decided to resign on Tuesday, calling his secretary of State home from Washington — before changing his mind. By Thursday, state troopers gathered ominously outside his door.
The confusion over Kitzhaber’s fate, Oregon political observers say, hints at the fatal flaw that appears to have trapped him in the scandal to begin with: A damning hubris that’s clouded his judgment in matters both personal and political.
“He is a very independent individual who’s never been swayed by public opinion or what the party establishment tells him to do,” said Jake Weigler, an Oregon Democratic strategist.
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“This is flat-out Greek tragedy,” she said. “Kitzhaber has done so many good things for the state.”
Democrats were largely united in calling for his resignation because they believe the state will be in good hands if he steps down. His successor, Secretary of State Kate Brown, is seen as more of a Democratic loyalist than Kitzhaber. And she’ll even offer her own historic footnote to the office, as the nation’s first openly bisexual governor.
“While she’ll make history as the nation’s first sitting LGBT governor, the more important truth is that she’s supremely capable of leading the state to better days ahead,” said Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign.
