Congressman Les AuCoin Endorses John Kitzhaber
Portland, OR – Former nine-term Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin has endorsed John Kitzhaber’s campaign for governor.
“John Kitzhaber is a progressive fighter and will be a Governor that listens to the concerns of Oregonians in every corner of our state,” said AuCoin, a Democrat and former dean of the Oregon House delegation.
“As Governor, John always stood on principle, even when it was not popular. His creativity and courage made a lasting difference on issues like health care and the environment, and these qualities make him exactly the right leader for the challenges facing Oregon right now. I am proud to endorse him.”
AuCoin was the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st congressional district since it was formed in 1882. AuCoin’s 18-year tenure is the sixth-longest in Oregon history. In his career, AuCoin took a prominent role in abortion rights, local and national environmental issues, wilderness protection and multiple use management of federal forests, and national security. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, he wrote the ban to stop Interior Secretary James Watt's plan to open the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf to oil exploration.
At the time of his retirement in 1993, he was 84th in overall House seniority, dean of the Oregon House delegation, a majority whip-at-large, and a veteran member of the House Appropriations Committee. AuCoin previously served two-terms in the Oregon House of Representatives (1971-1974). In his second term, he was elected House Majority Leader, at the age of 31. He is a full-time author, writer, lecturer and occasional blogger.
John Kitzhaber is a former two-term Governor of Oregon. An emergency room physician from Roseburg by trade, he has also served in the Oregon House of Representatives and as the Oregon Senate President. In his career he enacted many progressive reforms, including the Oregon Health Plan, the Oregon Education Act for the 21st Century, the Oregon Children's Plan, the Oregon Salmon Plan, and he helped established Oregon’s Statewide Trauma System. Since leaving office in 2002, he has continued to work on health care reform, natural resource issues and energy policy, leading several nonprofit foundations and boards.
