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In With The Old: 4th Terms For Brown & Kitzhaber

Oregon and California returned their governors to office in Election 2014, sending Democrats John Kitzhaber and Jerry Brown to record fourth terms.

News organizations called Brown's reelection just moments after the polls closed, while Kitzhaber's numbers took a little longer to firm up.

In fact, Kitzhaber's opponent, Dennis Richardson, refused to concede on election night, calling the numbers (49-45% for Kitzhaber at the time) too close to call.

The Oregon race was much closer than it might have been.  Richardson hammered Kitzhaber on ethics, after Kitzhaber's fiancee Cylvia Hayes was revealed to have had a sham marriage before she met the governor, and complicated financial dealings with the state during his term.

Those dealings are still being examined as Kitzhaber prepares for his fourth inauguration.  He earlier served as governor from 1995 to 2003; Brown served as California governor from 1975 to 1983.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.