Gov. Tina Kotek announced Wednesday that she is hiring a former Republican rival to lead her effort to fortify Oregon’s business environment.

Tim Knopp, who led the state’s longest legislative walkout in 2023, has been tapped as the state’s new chief prosperity officer.

The former longtime state senator from Bend will be tasked with meeting Kotek’s goal of finding ways to ease burdens on businesses and stem a recent tide of job losses. He will work in Kotek’s office.

The Democratic governor, who is running for reelection, announced the prosperity initiative in early December.

Knopp will be tasked with working with a 16-person prosperity council, whose members Kotek revealed last week, to chart public policy recommendations in the world of business. Knopp is currently the executive vice president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.

He was barred from running for reelection in 2024 due to penalties approved by voters under Measure 113, which targeted lawmakers who had 10 or more unexcused absences from the Legislature.

In 2023 Knopp was Senate minority leader when Republicans walked out of the Capitol for six weeks.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/14/tim-knopp-prosperity-council-tina-kotek/