Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown will become the country's first openly bisexual mayor when she is sworn in on Wednesday.
Brown, who is married to a man, will replace beleaguered Gov. John Kitzhaber following a scandal-ridden month in Oregon politics.
Kitzhaber resigned on Friday after facing pressure from politicians and constituents. It was discovered that his fiancée was acting as an environmental consultant for his administration while also being paid by an environmental advocacy group.
Brown called her entry into the gubernatorial office under such conditions bittersweet.
"This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward," she said in a statement following Kitzhaber's resignation.
"As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done between now and Wednesday."
The 54-year-old joined the State House in 1991, and was elected to the Senate six years later. In 2004, she became the state's first female majority leader, and became secretary of state in 2008.
Voters will decide in a special election in 2016 whether Brown will continue as governor until 2018. The 2018 election will determine whether Brown will serve at least a four-year term.
Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin touted Brown's competency.
"While she'll make history as the nation's first sitting LGBT governor, the more important truth is that she's supremely capable of leading the state to better days ahead," he said.
