Oregon

Kitzhaber appointed her to a position which she used for personal gain.

My first thought when this story started to break was that the Republicans couldn't win the Governorship fair-and-square, so they dredged up a scandal and sold it to the press. However the information became known, it does look like the Governor made a serious mistake.

As for myself, I think Kitzhaber exhausted his political usefulness and was coasting his last term. I think this may actually represent an opportunity for the Democratic Party of Oregon because Kate Brown may bring some energy and drive that Kitzhaber lacked. If she performs well, the Republicans will lose the 2016 special election. Were Kitzhaber to limp his way through his fourth term, it's much more likely that a Republican would win.