BEND, OR -- Governor John Kitzhaber ended the daily drama over whether he will resign on Friday when he announced he is stepping down, effective Wednesday, February 18. Secretary of State Kate Brown will be sworn in as Oregon's next governor at 10 a.m., Wednesday.  Central Oregon Community College political science professor Rodney Hanson says both Brown and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum were able to remain removed from the scandal, while Kitzhaber was in the hot seat. "These executive officials that we vote on separately have some independence. And, I think that's kind of cool.  When our founders came up with the state constitution, they wanted some independence in the Executive Office of the state."

Hanson tells KBND News he knows some fear Brown will be more liberal than Kitzhaber has been. "She is still going to, I believe, as governor, going to have to move more into the middle and encourage bipartisan support. I think you usually see that, when you move into the top position in the state, in the Executive department.  And, I hope so."  

Not a lot is known about Brown.  We know she has served as a state representative and state senator before being elected twice to the office of Secretary of State.  She is married, and is a self-proclaimed bisexual.