Veterans, public servants and proven winners take on Republican-held seats from Long Island to San Diego
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 27, 2026 — With Election Day fast approaching, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is mobilizing its national network behind candidates at all levels of government, including five LGBTQ+ candidates working to flip Republican-held seats in some of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. Cait Conley (NY-17), JD Ford (IN-05), Marni von Wilpert (CA-48), JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06) and Chris Gallant (NY-01) are running in districts that could decide control of the House. Every one of them is a chance to expand LGBTQ+ representation in Congress.
“LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s efforts are helping make history in critical races that will decide the future of our economy, our rights, and our democracy. From Chris Pappas in New Hampshire to Jo Mendoza in Arizona to JD Ford in Indiana, I’ve been proud to join LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in supporting great candidates around the country who are running on a record of service and a focus on delivering a better everyday life,” said Pete Buttigieg, Former Mayor of South Bend, IN and Former United States Secretary of Transportation. “This is our moment of maximum leverage as citizens, and Victory Fund is making sure these candidates have what they need to finish strong.”
“The path to a Pro-equality House majority runs through these five districts, and LGBTQ+ candidates are leading the way,” said Christian Ulvert, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Board Member. “Three of these candidates served our country in uniform. All five have spent their careers fighting for working families. They are running in tough districts because they know they can win them, and Victory Fund is putting everything we have behind them. When we flip these seats, we change who holds power in Washington and who gets a voice in the decisions that shape our lives.”
“These candidates are exactly who voters in swing districts want to see: combat veterans, a firefighter, a former drill instructor, local leaders who have already won hard races,” said Evan Low, President and CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “They’re running on lowering costs, protecting freedoms and standing up for their communities, and they are proving that LGBTQ+ candidates can compete and win anywhere. We are in the trenches with them through November 3rd, because every one of these seats matters for the majority.”
For media inquiries or to schedule an interview please reach out to Melissa Grigsby (melissa.grigsby@victoryfund.org), VP of Communications at LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
The Battleground Races
Cait Conley, U.S. House, NY-17 (Flip)
Conley is an Army special operations veteran with six deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and a former White House counterterrorism director. She is challenging Rep. Mike Lawler in New York’s top toss-up district, one of only three Republican-held seats Kamala Harris carried in 2024. A win would put an LGBTQ+ combat veteran in Congress and help flip the House.
JD Ford, U.S. House, IN-05 (Flip)
Ford became the first openly gay member of the Indiana General Assembly in 2018. He is challenging Rep. Victoria Spartz in a suburban Indianapolis district, motivated in part by the failed Republican push to redraw Indiana’s congressional map. A win would make him Indiana’s first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress and prove that LGBTQ+ candidates can compete in Republican-leaning districts.
Marni von Wilpert, U.S. House, CA-48 (Flip)
Von Wilpert is a San Diego City Councilmember, a former Obama administration labor attorney and a Peace Corps alum who previously flipped San Diego’s most conservative council seat. She faces Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond for the open seat left by Rep. Darrell Issa, in a district redrawn under Prop 50 that Harris would have carried 50 percent to 47 percent. A win would add an out LGBTQ+ woman to California’s delegation and deliver a key pickup toward the House majority.
JoAnna Mendoza, U.S. House, AZ-06 (Flip)
Mendoza is a 20-year Navy and Marine Corps veteran and a former Marine Corps drill instructor. She is challenging Rep. Juan Ciscomani in a southern Arizona district Donald Trump carried by less than one point in 2024, which forecasters rate as a toss-up or lean Democratic. A win would add an out LGBTQ+ woman veteran to Congress and deliver a key pickup toward the House majority.
Chris Gallant, U.S. House, NY-01 (Flip)
Gallant is an Army veteran, Black Hawk pilot, union leader and volunteer firefighter raised in Suffolk County. He is challenging Rep. Nick LaLota on eastern Long Island, a seat Republicans have held since 2014. A win would show that an out, working-class veteran can flip a long-held Republican district.
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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