From Oregon’s governor’s residence to Wisconsin’s elections office, LGBTQ+ women are on the ballot in some of the year’s most consequential races.
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 26, 2026 — With one week until Election Day, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is putting its full weight behind five LGBTQ+ candidates for statewide office. Together, their races will decide who protects voting rights, who defends families in court, and whether LGBTQ+ leadership in state government grows or shrinks. Victory Fund is working to re-elect Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, and to elect Kim Ahern as Rhode Island Attorney General, Amanda Gonzalez as Colorado Secretary of State, and JoCasta Zamarripa as Wisconsin Secretary of State.
“These five women are running where the stakes are highest: the offices that enforce the law, run our elections, and set policy for millions of people,” said Evan Low, President and CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “Two of them have already shown what LGBTQ+ leadership looks like in statewide office, standing up to federal overreach and protecting their communities. Three more are ready to make history. Victory Fund is all in, because these races will be won or lost by the narrowest of margins, and we intend to win every one of them.”
“Winning a crowded primary takes more than a good message. It takes partners who show up early and stay through the finish line, and Victory Fund has been that partner every step of the way,” said Kim Ahern, Democratic nominee for Rhode Island Attorney General. “Their support helped us win on September 9th, and it has us in a strong position heading into November 3rd. Rhode Islanders want an attorney general with the experience to protect their rights, and I’m proud to make history doing it.”
“LGBTQ+ women leaders have been on the front lines of every fight for our rights, and this year they’re on the front lines of the ballot,” said Rebecca Prozan LGBTQ+ Victory Board member. “Kris Mayes won by 280 votes four years ago. That’s a reminder that every door knocked, every dollar given, and every vote cast matters. Now we are on the frontlines protecting a trusted Governor in Tina Kotek, and we are asking our supporters to show up for these five women the way they have always shown up for us.”
“Four years ago, Victory Fund helped make history when Oregon elected me as one of the first two lesbian governors in the country, and they’ve stood with me ever since,” said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. “This race is close, and the choice is clear: we can keep moving Oregon forward on housing, healthcare, and protecting our freedoms, or we can go backward with a MAGA extremist running the state. I’m grateful to have Victory Fund in this fight again, and together we’re going to win on November 3rd.”
The Front Line Races
Tina Kotek, Governor, Oregon (Incumbent)
Elected in 2022 as one of the nation’s first two openly lesbian governors, Kotek previously served as Oregon’s longest-serving House Speaker. She faces Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan in a tight race, with recent polls showing Kotek holding a narrow edge. Keeping her in office protects one of only three LGBTQ+ governors in the country.
Kris Mayes, Attorney General, Arizona (Incumbent)
Mayes won in 2022 by just 280 votes and has become one of the nation’s leading attorneys general pushing back on federal overreach in court. She faces Republican Senate President Warren Petersen; an AARP poll in late July showed her ahead by five points. Her tenure shows how much a single LGBTQ+ statewide official can do to protect rights.
Kim Ahern, Attorney General, Rhode Island (Open Seat)
A former special assistant attorney general under three attorneys general, Ahern won a four-way Democratic primary on September 9 and faces Republican Alan Gordon. Rhode Island has never elected an LGBTQ+ person to statewide general office, and Ahern would be only the second woman to serve as its attorney general. A win would make her Rhode Island’s first LGBTQ+ statewide officeholder.
Amanda Gonzalez, Secretary of State, Colorado (Open Seat)
As Jefferson County Clerk and an election attorney, Gonzalez has defended Colorado’s mail-in voting system and pledges to be a firewall for the state’s elections. She won the Democratic primary with about 64 percent of the vote and faces Republican James Wiley; Republicans have not won statewide in Colorado since 2016. A win would put an LGBTQ+ woman in charge of elections in a key state.
JoCasta Zamarripa, Secretary of State, Wisconsin (Open Seat)
Zamarripa was the first Latina elected to the Wisconsin Legislature and the first Latina and openly LGBTQ+ member of Milwaukee’s Common Council. In Wisconsin’s first open secretary of state race since 1978, she faces Republican Jay Schroeder. A win would make her the first Latina elected statewide in Wisconsin.
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About LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of LGBTQ+ candidates win local, state and federal elections. victoryfund.org