One week before President Donald Trump took office in January, Gov. Tina Kotek stood in front of Oregon’s lawmakers and gave a 37-minute speech.

She could have mentioned the recent election, which had dealt Democrats a painful blow, or detailed her plans to respond to the Trump administration. After all, former Gov. Kate Brown used her 2017 inaugural speech — delivered just before Trump’s first swearing-in — to declare, “Here in Oregon, where thousands have fought for and demanded equality, we can not and will not retreat.”

But Kotek took a different path. Known for her steadfast focus on housing, behavioral health and education, the Democrat dedicated the majority of her speech to those priority issues and stuck to her usual message.

Kotek’s measured response that day has continued as Trump’s second term has unfolded in unprecedented and chaotic ways, with deep cuts to federal employees, jolting changes to policies on diversity and equity and threats and real initiatives to deport immigrants.

Unlike some of her Democratic counterparts, Kotek has opted for a quieter form of resistance, focusing on policy instead of headlines or political attacks. Experts say her lack of theatrics could help keep Oregon out of the spotlight and avoid being targeted by Trump, who clashed with Brown during his first term — perhaps most publicly over his deployment of federal agents into downtown Portland in 2020 to confront protestors.

“(Kotek) has communicated some specific objections, but she has not put herself as the sort of face of opposition,” said Portland State University political science professor Chris Shortell. “She has been more directed in what she has said thus far. There haven’t been huge sweeping statements and things like that.”

A spokesperson for Kotek didn’t respond to emailed questions seeking comment on the governor’s response to the Trump administration.

To be sure, Kotek has not been silent on federal actions. In late January, she and Attorney General Dan Rayfield held a press conference to denounce Trump’s sudden funding freeze that threatened programs in Oregon, such as Medicaid and Head Start.

But she rarely utters the president’s name. And political experts and observers say Kotek’s response has come across as restrained — a stark contrast to Brown, who quickly emerged as a vocal opponent to Trump in his first term and was heralded as a leader of the resistance by multiple national media outlets.

Following Trump’s win in November, numerous Democratic governors quickly pledged to fight the president’s agenda. And since Trump took office, several, including some exploring a 2028 presidential run, have appeared regularly on major news outlets to blast the president’s actions.

But unlike those vocal critics or her predecessor, Kotek seems to have little desire for national attention.

“Governor Kotek just has a very different personality than Governor Brown, and she’s hyper focused on the work that she’s trying to accomplish,” said Felisa Hagins, head of Oregon’s Service Employees International Union political arm.

Kotek’s few statements regarding the federal administration have concerned specific actions and their impact on Oregonians. On Thursday, she condemned the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that the agency would roll back major climate-friendly initiatives, stating in a press release that “climate action will continue in Oregon.” But nowhere in her statement did she name drop Trump.

And Kotek has largely refrained from general criticisms of the Trump administration. During the January press conference, she left most of the political jabs to Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who labeled the president’s action as another attempt to “sow division and chaos for a political end.”

The lack of headlines regarding Kotek’s response to Trump should not be taken as the governor shying away from a fight, experts said.

After all, Kotek is navigating a different political landscape than Brown did during Trump’s first term. The president returned to office this year emboldened and with tighter control over the Republican party and Congress, leaving Democrats with fewer viable options to push back against his agenda. He has also vowed retribution against his political adversaries, which experts say has likely incentivized some Democratic governors to maintain a low national profile.

“I don’t think that Kotek’s lack of press conferences (about Trump) is an indicator of a different orientation that she holds relative to Brown, but rather just an assessment of the moment and the benefits and risks of visibility,” said University of Oregon political science professor Alison Gash.

Experts point out that Kotek — who shepherded some of Oregon’s most progressive laws on gun control, reproductive rights and climate action as House speaker — has taken actions to safeguard the state’s progressive policies. Kotek announced in November that Oregon had expanded its supply of abortion medication Mifepristone to prepare for federal attacks on reproductive rights. She has also reiterated her commitment to Oregon’s sanctuary laws, which prohibit local law enforcement from helping federal immigration officers without a court order.

Meanwhile, Rayfield has piloted Oregon’s legal resistance to Trump through multi-state lawsuits targeting federal funding freezes, mass layoffs, cuts to gender affirming care and efforts to end automatic birthright citizenship, among other actions. His office issues press releases touting Rayfield’s lawsuits, town halls and legal victories against Trump multiple times a week.

Social justice advocates agree that Kotek has not wavered in her commitment to Oregon’s progressive laws. Blair Stenvick, spokesperson for LGBTQ+ advocacy group Basic Rights Oregon, said Kotek’s office has been communicative with advocacy groups about Oregon’s response to federal actions that might impact their communities.

But Kotek’s tendency to stay out of the spotlight and steadily advance her agenda for Oregon might spark some pushback from her liberal supporters, who may be looking for a louder response to national politics.

“I think Democrats are expecting a vocal and unyielding pushback to the Trump administration,” said longtime Oregon political consultant Jake Weigler. “I think it’s smart for Democrats to speak to the concerns of the voters right now, which is about the future of our democracy and the dismantling of our federal government.”

Kotek’s lowkey strategy seems to have so far kept Oregon off of Trump’s radar. But that could change at any moment for the president, who has steered his second administration at breakneck speed.

Given Trump’s unpredictable style and past verbal attacks on Oregon, some experts say it’s only a matter of time before he clashes with the state. If that happens, Kotek may have to decide whether to maintain her quiet approach or take a more forceful stand.

“We know that President Trump has thoughts about Portland and has focused on Portland in remarks in the past,” Shortell said. “And so I would expect that at some point it’s going to become an issue once again.”