Victor Atiyeh

Victor George Atiyeh is a Republican Party politician who was Governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He is the most recent Republican to hold that office, and was unusual as a conservative governor of a liberal state. Atiyeh's election was one of a number of victories for the Republican Party in the years preceding the Reagan Revolution in 1980. As Governor, Atiyeh was known as a fiscal conservative who promoted free trade and improving the state's business climate. He was very well liked during his tenure and easily won reelection in 1982 with over 60% of the vote. Aside from politics, Atiyeh is also somewhat well known as one of the alleged targets of a plot by the Rajneesh cult to overthrow the Oregon government as well as the local government of The Dalles, Oregon. He is also the only Governor in American history to be of Arab Christian heritage.