Meet Oregon’s next governor

READ: ‘Greek tragedy’ leads to governor’s resignation

But for Brown, who is married to a man and has served as Oregon’s secretary of state since 2009, it will be the culmination of a week that went from weird to wondrous and lands her in the governor’s seat after nearly a quarter-century in Oregon politics. It’s a job the 54-year-old Democrat didn’t anticipate taking on anytime soon — though she was considered a top contender for the governor’s race in 2018, when Kitzhaber was slated to wrap up his tenure.

“This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward,” Brown, said in a statement after Kitzhaber announced his resignation on Friday. “As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done between now and Wednesday.”

It’s possible she’ll face challenges from inside her party, like Tina Kotek, Oregon’s openly gay House speaker.

And if she survives 2016, she’ll have to again go through the gauntlet again in 2018 if she wants to earn a full four-year term.

CNN