WASHINGTON, DC — Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is proud to announce its July endorsement slate of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office, which includes 18 new and incumbent candidates from 12 states including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon.
Highlights of this endorsement cycle include: Hawaiʻi State Representative candidate Janel Fujinaka, a transgender community advocate and longtime organizer from Oʻahu who has dedicated her work to advancing equality, supporting working families, and promoting accountable government. Fujinaka is running for Hawaiʻi’s 26th District seat, where she would become the first transgender woman elected to the district and continue expanding transgender representation in public office. California Vallejo City Council candidate Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a Planning Commissioner, small business owner, and community advocate with a strong commitment to building a more inclusive and responsive local government. Beasley-Stansberry is running to represent District 5 and, if elected, would become the first Black LGBTQ+ person to serve on the Vallejo City Council.
To date, 285 candidates have received LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsement for the 2026 campaign cycle. To earn LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsement, a candidate must be an out member of the LGBTQ+ community who supports LGBTQ+ equality and the right to bodily autonomy and demonstrates a path to victory.
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorses the following candidates:
Matthew Adams
State Assembly Member, District 09 (CA)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Athena Aguiar
Eugene City Council, Ward 5 (OR)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Steven Baker
Benton County Justice of the Peace, District 5 (AR)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Dwayne Bensing
Attorney General (DE)
Primary Election: September 15, 2026
General Election: November 10, 2026 (no Republican candidate in general)
Curtis Calabrese
Palm Beach County Commissioner, District 4 (FL)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Amber Fellows
Mayor of Ypsilanti (MI)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Julie Forbes
Kane County Board, District 11 (IL)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Janel Fujinaka
State Representative, District 26 (HI)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Debra Fuller
Justice of the Peace, Saline County Dist. 13 (AR)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Patty Hansen
Flagstaff City Council (AZ)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Wes Hodge
Orange County Commission District 2 (FL)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Reed Krewson
House District 22 (KS)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Zach Maier
House District 39 (KS)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Joseph McClusky
House District 86 (MI)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Hunter Miller
Alachua County School Board District 1 (FL)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Jack Rosenthal
RTD Board of Directors, District O (Boulder County, CO)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Halyn Roth
Mayor of Spring Lake Park (MN)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Tara Beasley-Stansberry
Vallejo City Council, District 5. (CA)
General Election: November 3, 2026
Find a searchable database of all endorsed candidates on the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund website, here. For interviews and additional background on LGBTQ+ candidates running nationwide, contact press@victoryfund.org.
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
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