Governor Brown Changes Leadership for Oregon’s Federal Lobbying

Saturday, October 10, 2015

GoLocalPDX Political Team

Governor Kate Brown has tapped Drew Johnston as federal relations director for the Governor’s Office - this is a critical role for Oregon and new leadership may help to clean up an area of state government needing reform.

As GoLocalPDX unveiled last January:

The firm that represents the State of Oregon and lobbies for the state on federal legislation and appropriations is the firm now representing Governor John Kitzhaber and Cylvia Hayes.

Specifically, Kitzhaber and Hayes have tapped two of the most powerful and politically influential lawyers in Oregon to represent them before the Oregon Ethics Commission. Neither is a criminal attorney.

The two attorneys named to represent Kitzhaber and Hayes as private citizens (not in the governor’s official capacity) are Steve Janik and Jim McDermott of Ball Janik Law Firm. The firm Ball Janik has a long political reach to Washington DC and markets itself as being influential in government relations in Portland, Salem, and DC.

Unanswered is how Johnston will manage outside lobbying resource in DC.

“Drew brings a wealth of policy experience at the state and federal level to this position," Governor Brown said. "His ability to find innovative solutions to complex problems will aid the state as we work with our federal partners to improve individual and community prosperity for all Oregonians.”

Governor Kate Brown

Most recently Johnston served as the legislative director for the Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, but with Wheeler running for Mayor of Portland, Johnston’s position was limited.

Previously, Johnston served as counsel to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He is a Salem native, Johnston received his bachelor's degree from Whitman College and his law degree from the University of Oregon.

In this position, Johnston will be based in Washington, D.C. where he will serve as the liason between state agencies and the federal delegation. He begins his position on October 13.

Related Slideshow: Timeline of Kate Brown’s Life and Political Career

Prev Next

Childhood

Brown was born on June 21, 1960 in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain where her father was serving in the U.S. Air Force, but she grew up mostly in Minnesota.

Prev Next

Education

Brown graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Environmental Conservation. She then went on to earn a degree in environmental law from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.

Prev Next

Law Career

Before Brown began her legislative career, she worked at Portland State University and worked as an attorney with the Juvenile Rights Project, a non profit in Portland that provides legal services to children and families.

Prev Next

House of Reps

Brown began her legislative career in 1991 in the Oregon House of Representatives where she served two terms.

Prev Next

Senate

Kate Brown was elected to the Oregon Senate in 1996 and two years later was elected Senate Democratic Leader.

Prev Next

Senate Majority Leader

In 2004 Kate Brown became the first woman to serve as Oregon's Senate Majority Leader. Brown served until July 2007 when she announced that she would give up her seat in the Oregon Senate to run for Secretary of State.

Prev Next

Secretary of State.

On May 20, 2008, Brown won the election for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State and on November 5 she won the general election by a 51-46 percent margin against Republican candidate Rick Dancer.

Prev Next

Rising Star

In 2009 the Aspen Institute named Brown as one of 24 "Rising Stars" in American politics and awarded her with a Rodel Fellowship.

Prev Next

Personal Life

Brown lives in Portland with her husband Dan Little who she has been married to for almost 20 years and is also a stepmother to two children. She identifies as bisexual and was America's first openly bisexual statewide officeholder.

Photo: Brown kissing Storm Large at Basic Rights Oregon's 27th annual Dinner Auction in 2009. Photo by Byron Beck.

Prev Next

Cut D.C. Trip Short

On Wednesday, Feb. 11 2015 Brown left is the national conference for the Association of Secretaries of State in Washington D.C. two days early.

The 2015 Winter Conference runs from February 10-13, 2015, and draws top state officials from around the country.

Brown's spokesperson, Tony Green, confirmed she is on her way back to Oregon, and that her return is ahead of schedule.

According to multiple sources at the highest level of State Government, her return is tied to a potential resignation by the embattled Governor John Kitzhaber.

Photo: Kate Brown with Peter Johnson (left) and George Vranas (right).