WASHINGTON, DC — Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is proud to announce its May endorsement slate of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office, which includes 29 new and incumbent candidates from 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
Highlights of this endorsement cycle include: Los Angeles Superior Court candidate Tal Khan Valbuena, who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan at age 18 with just $200, put himself through law school, and has spent the last decade serving as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County’s Mental Health Court. A practicing Muslim, first-generation American citizen, and current Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commissioner, Tal would become the first openly gay person of color elected to the Los Angeles Superior Court. In Maryland, Jamar Day is running for the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, where he could become the first openly gay Black member of the board and potentially the first openly queer Black citywide elected official in Baltimore history. In Maine, Maureen “Mo” AuCoin, a three-term city council member, affordable housing advocate, and founding organizer of the Hallowell Pride Alliance, is running a competitive campaign for the Maine House of Representatives. And in California, nationally recognized community organizer Joz Sida is seeking to become the first queer mayor of Fontana, bringing more than 15 years of coalition-building experience to a rapidly changing city.
To date, 249 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:
Incumbents Endorsed May 2026
Beth Doglio (she/her)
Washington House of Representatives, District 22, Position 1
Nicole Macri (she/her)
Washington House of Representatives, District 43
Matt McCoy (he/him)
Polk County Supervisor, District 1, IA
Monique Priestley (she/her)
Vermont State Senate, Orange County
Amy Quinn (she/her)
Mayor of Asbury Park, NJ
David Silva (he/him)
Mayor of Buellton, CA
Casey Willits (he/him)
Gainesville City Commission, District 3, FL
New Endorsed Candidates May 2026
Maureen AuCoin (she/her)
Maine House of Representatives, District 55
Jeffrey Bernstein (he/him)
Palm Springs City Council, District 2, CA
Abi Boatman (she/her)
Kansas House of Representatives, District 86
Chelsea Byers (she/her)
West Hollywood City Council, CA
Hunter Cantrell (he/him)
Minnesota House of Representatives, District 55B
John Casselberry (he/him)
Stanislaus Union School District Trustee, Area 5, CA
Markus Ceniceros (he/him)
Littleton Elementary School District Governing Board, AZ
Mallory Craig-Karim (she/her)
Somerville City Council, NJ
Jamar Day (any/all pronouns)
Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, At-Large, MD
Spencer Dixon (he/him)
Maryland House of Delegates, District 32
Brendan Johnson (he/him)
Michigan State Senate, District 9
Phil Kim (he/him)
San Francisco Board of Education, CA
Aparna Raj (she/her)
DC Council, Ward 1
Illapa Sairitupac (he/him)
New York State Assembly, District 65
Martin Luis Salazar (he/him)
Florida House of Representatives, District 64
Mathewos Samson (he/him)
Georgia House of Representatives, District 58
Jarrod Schaeffer (he/him)
Rutherford Borough Council, NJ
Keith Scully (he/him)
Washington House of Representatives, District 32
Joz Sida (she/her)
Mayor of Fontana, CA
Miguel Trindade Deramo (he/him)
DC Council, Ward 1
Tal Khan Valbuena (he/him)
Los Angeles Superior Court, Seat 2, CA
Brenda Zamora (she/her)
Clark County School District Trustee, District D, NV
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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