Kennedy entered the Senate in a November 1962 special election to fill the seat once held by his brother John. He was elected to a full six-year term in 1964 and was reelected seven more times. The Chappaquiddick incident on July 18, 1969, resulted in the death of his automobile passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Kate Brown was sworn in as Oregon governor on February 18, 2015 after the resignation of John Kitzhaber. According to the Oregon Constitution, she will serve as governor until the results of the November 2016 election take effect in January 2017.
Rex Fuller, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Eastern Washington University, has been named president of Western Oregon University. Beverlee J. McClure, president and CEO of the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry, has been chosen as president of Adams State University, in Colorado. Michael H. Schill, dean and professor of law at the University of Chicago, in Illinois, has been appointed president of the University of Oregon.