Katherine Brown, known as Kate Brown, is an American politician and attorney. She served as the 38th governor of Oregon from February 18, 2015, to January 9, 2023. Earlier in her career, Brown was a state representative for Oregon's 13th district from 1991 to 1997, and a state senator for the 21st district from 1997 to 2009, also serving as the majority leader of the Oregon Senate from 2003 to 2009. Additionally, she held the position of Oregon Secretary of State from 2009 until her assumption of the governorship in 2015, following the resignation of John Kitzhaber.

Brown has been a trailblazer in her political career. In 2008, she became the first openly LGBT person elected secretary of state in the United States and the first openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in any U.S. state. She continued to break barriers in 2016 when she became the first openly LGBT person elected governor of a U.S. state and the second woman elected governor of Oregon after Barbara Roberts. Throughout her tenure, she has been an advocate for the LGBT community and has significantly contributed to the political landscape in the United States. By the end of her term as governor, however, she faced challenges with approval ratings.