Political Notes: LGBTQ leaders take sides in CA lt. gov race

A number of LGBTQ leaders across California have decided which of the 2026 lieutenant governor candidates to support. Quite a few are lining up behind the bid of state Treasurer Fiona Ma, a former San Francisco supervisor, state Assemblymember, and state Board of Equalization member.

The out politicos are among dozens of Democratic elected leaders throughout the Golden State to endorse Ma, according to her campaign website.

They include gay state Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco and lesbian former state senator Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton, along with gay Assemblymembers Christopher Ward of San Diego; Corey Jackson, Ph.D., of Perris; and Mark González, José Luis Solache Jr., and Rick Zbur of Los Angeles County. Gay former Assemblymembers John A. Pérez of Los Angeles and Evan Low of Cupertino, plus Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang, have also endorsed Ma.

Bay Area lawmakers backing Ma include gay Supervisors Ken Carlson of Contra Costa County and Matt Dorsey and Rafael Mandelman of San Francisco County, as has lesbian El Cerrito Mayor Carolyn Wysinger. Gay City Councilmembers Pablo Benavente of Concord, Brent Blackaby and Terry Taplin of Berkeley, Devin Murphy of Pinole, Gabe Quinto of El Cerrito, and Cesar Zepeda of Richmond are on the list, along with queer Oakland City Councilmember Janini Ramachandran.

“As we campaign in every corner of the state, the breadth of support from labor, elected officials, and everyday Californians continues to grow,” stated Ma. “It’s a reflection of what this campaign is all about – bringing people together to solve problems and create opportunity for all.”

She has no doubt benefited from the agreement reached last August that ended a 2021 lawsuit brought by former state tax official Judith Blackwell, who alleged Ma exposed herself and crawled into bed with her when they shared rooms at a hotel and a rental unit. The state paid Blackwell $350,000 to settle her claims.

Ma had denied the allegations and called the agreement a vindication, as CBS News had reported last summer.

"From day one, I said this was a frivolous lawsuit filed by a disgruntled employee who fabricated claims in an attempt to embarrass me in hopes of receiving millions of dollars in a settlement," Ma stated at the time.

Earlier this month Ma touted her having raised nearly $1 million in the first half of 2025 for her lieutenant governor race, giving her $4.5 million in her account to spend. According to her campaign, she has raised to date more than $7 million as she campaigns to be the state’s second highest officeholder.

“These numbers reflect what we’ve felt on the ground all across California: voters are ready for a proven leader who shows up, gets things done, and puts people first,” stated Ma. “I’m deeply grateful to the Californians who have joined our campaign and our shared vision for our state.”

 
Gay candidate in the race
As for gay lieutenant governor candidate Janelle Kellman, the former Sausalito city councilmember had announced in March an endorsement from LPAC, the political action committee that helps elect LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates to office across the U.S. But since then, she hasn’t touted any additional supporters nor posted a list of her endorsements on her campaign website.

In an August 8 phone interview, Kellman told the B.A.R. she and her campaign team have been “working very, very hard” to line up endorsements and expects “by the end of summer, we will have some big news to report.”

She reported raising $238,221.74 in the first half of the year and having $130,137.91 in her campaign account as of July 1. In past interviews with the B.A.R. Kellman has acknowledged she doesn’t have the same name recognition as many of the other Democrats in the race, which prompted her to launch her campaign two years ago for the statewide position.

While the other candidates in the race have outpaced her in the contributions category, Kellman said this month that she remains confident that by the next financial reporting deadline, she will have the resources she needs to engage voters across the state about her candidacy.

“Everybody is all over the place, and we are laser focused. We know exactly what we need to do moving forward,” said Kellman. “I am confident by the next reporting deadline we will have plenty of resources to get our message out to voters. I am hearing from people a lot of disruption and a lot of unhappiness with the status quo. I feel very confident moving into the fall and winter.”

An environmental attorney who founded and is CEO of the nonprofit Center for Sea Rise Solutions, Kellman has been taking campaign trail trips around the state to talk about such issues as climate change and wildfires. She is gearing up for her third such excursion later this month, a nearly 30-mile backcountry loop in Yosemite National Park.

“A small, thoughtful group will camp and hike through this extraordinary landscape, focused on real conversations around wildfire, watershed health, and climate resilience – and how we turn policy into lasting, tangible impact,” she noted in an Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/DM8uXlGTH-k/ about the trip.

Current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited from running again. The San Francisco Democrat last week dropped out of the 2026 governor’s race and announced she would instead run next year to succeed Ma as the state’s treasurer.

It followed the decision by former vice president Kamala Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney, also not to vie to succeed termed-out Governor Gavin Newsom. The withdrawals of the prominent Democratic officials upended the gubernatorial race, giving an opportunity for lesbian former state Senator Toni Atkins of San Diego to bolster her bid to be governor and counteract a growing narrative that former congressmember Katie Porter is the Democratic frontrunner in the race.

As for who will serve alongside the state’s next governor as the second-in-command, California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday is poised to be a major foil for Ma’s being able to cakewalk into the lieutenant governor’s office. The former Novato mayor, who happened to take his family to Yosemite in July, has yet to list any endorsers on his campaign website.

He did report raising more than $1.6 million for his campaign in the first half of 2025. And Fryday began July 1 with more than $1.4 million in his account.

“I’m very proud of the depth of our fundraising support across the state of California from people who are stepping up to help create the kind of change we all desperately need and want,” Fryday stated last month about his cash haul.

Also running is Democrat Michael Tubbs, a former Newsom poverty adviser who earlier this year picked up endorsements from bisexual Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-South Los Angeles) and lesbian former U.S. senator Laphonza Butler (D-California). His campaign has been silent since then regarding additional endorsers.

The former Stockton mayor raised $724,964.56 during the first half of 2025 and reported having $665,884.99 in his campaign account. OneRepublic founding bandmember Tim Myers has yet to report any fundraising for his own bid, nor has State Board of Equalization member Mike Schaefer of San Diego.

Meanwhile, state Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), who reported having nearly $550,000 as of July 1 in the lieutenant governor campaign account he created, is now running to succeed termed-out gay Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

Bradford just picked up the endorsement of Pérez, currently a University of California regent who formerly held the powerful California State Assembly speaker leadership post. The two had served together in the Assembly, with Pérez appointing Bradford to the Assembly Insurance Committee.

“I saw firsthand his unique ability to build coalitions and deliver solutions on complex challenges, and know that he will continue to bring the policy expertise and persistence California needs to repair its insurance system,” stated Pérez.

Also endorsing Bradford in the race are Elhawary and Ma.

There is now less than 10 months to go before California voters will cast ballots in the June 2, 2026 primary. Under the state’s open primary system, only the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation in the various races for statewide positions will advance to the fall ballot.

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