Political Notebook: Come 2027, CA could again be without a LGBTQ statewide elected

With gay California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara term limited from running again in 2026, and gay lieutenant governor candidate Janelle Kellman the only declared LGBTQ candidate at the moment seeking a statewide position in next year’s races, the Golden State could once again be without an LGBTQ statewide elected leader as of early 2027. Lara was the first LGBTQ person to win a statewide office with his election to a first term in 2018.

While lesbian former state senator Toni Atkins of San Diego had drawn support for her gubernatorial bid from a number of LGBTQ members of the state Legislature in the summer, she ended up suspending her campaign in late September. The former San Diego city councilmember who had served as her city’s interim mayor in 2005 is now being talked about as a likely San Diego mayoral candidate in 2028 when the incumbent, gay Mayor Todd Gloria, will be termed out.

Kellman, 52, is an environmental attorney who founded and is CEO of nonprofit Center for Sea Rise Solutions. The former member of the Sausalito City Council is running in a crowded field in next year’s June 2 primary where only the top two vote-getters will advance to the November ballot.

Among the other Democratic contenders for the state’s second-in-command position are Josh Fryday, California's chief service officer in Governor Gavin Newsom’s office; Michael Tubbs, a former Newsom poverty adviser and Stockton mayor; and termed out state Treasurer Fiona Ma, a former San Francisco supervisor. Like Newsom, current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited from running again for her position and is a candidate in 2026 to succeed Ma as state treasurer.

Faced with less name recognition and fewer political personal connections to elected leaders in Sacramento, Kellman launched her lieutenant governor bid two years ago. She has struggled to break out from the pack of her better-known candidates in terms of media coverage, endorsements, and donations but has remained dogged, nonetheless, in seeking the position.

With Atkins bowing out of the gubernatorial contest, Kellman’s campaign has been highlighting her being the lone LGBTQ candidate who can maintain seeing out leadership among the eight statewide constitutional offices up for grabs in 2026. She is hoping it will assist her in securing the backing of more LGBTQ organizations and leaders, as well as attract attention from LGBTQ voters as they decide whom to support in her race.

At a recent fundraiser her supporters held for her at a gay-owned bar in San Francisco’s LGBTQ Castro district, Kellman was asked by the Bay Area Reporter about finding herself now being the only LGBTQ candidate for a statewide position and how that would factor into her campaigning in the coming months.

“I think that would be terrible, and I don't think it would represent who we are as a state and who we are as a community. I mean, it makes a lot of sense to have an LGBTQ representative statewide,” said Kellman. “I'm the only, openly LGBTQ running for statewide office. So, I just, I think it's imperative upon us in our community to make sure we create that visibility and we continue to show up.”

She added she “would love” to have Atkins’ support of her candidacy and has been seeking the endorsements of such groups as statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization Equality California and the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. In March, as the Political Notebook had reported, Kellman secured an endorsement from LPAC, the political action committee that helps elect LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates to office across the U.S.

“That's something we're really focused on, is trying to get prominent LGBTQs to come behind this campaign and support our community,” said Kellman.

The day of her October 30 local fundraiser Kellman won the endorsement of the East Area Progressive Democrats. The Los Angeles-based political club has many LGBTQs among its membership and noted Kellman’s unique position to ensure LGBTQ elected representation within the state’s executive branch. 

“Janelle is the only openly LGBTQ+ candidate for statewide office in California in 2026, which adds to our pride in standing with the best candidate for the job of Lieutenant Governor,” noted Hans Johnson, a gay man who is president of the Democratic club. “Janelle’s experience as an environmental attorney, as a planning commissioner, as a councilmember and mayor, and as a leader in collaborative adaptation to climate change makes her the most qualified candidate for the job of LG.”

The Victory Fund, now led by gay former South Bay state assemblymember Evan Low, had endorsed Atkins last December but has yet to endorse in any other 2026 statewide race. A spokesperson for the group told the B.A.R. this week it will resume its 2026 endorsements later this month.

The only statewide race that EQCA has endorsed in to date is that of Attorney General Rob Bonta’s reelection bid. The straight Democrat from the East Bay has been a fierce fighter for LGBTQ rights since first being appointed to his position in 2021.

The EQCA Political Action Committee has begun its endorsement process for the other 2026 midterm races and will consider candidates on a rolling basis through the spring, it told the B.A.R. this week and notes on its endorsement page on its website.

“In races for the California State Legislature, U.S. Congress, and statewide constitutional offices, Equality California evaluates all pro-equality candidates, both openly LGBTQ+ leaders and strong allies, who meet our screening and endorsement criteria. A candidate’s LGBTQ+ identity is one of several key factors in the PAC’s deliberations, along with their viability, track record, and demonstrated commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ equality, among others," noted EQCA Managing Director Tom Temprano, a gay San Francisco resident.

Among the co-hosts for Kellman’s local fundraiser were lesbian couple Tracey Mason and Shirin Etessam of Marin, who have been friends with the candidate for a number of years. Mason told the B.A.R. she believes Kellman is the type of “visionary” needed in state politics.

“She cares about the things that matter for the long term,” she noted.

Etessam serves on EQCA’s board and is pushing to see the organization endorse Kellman. Stressing she was speaking for herself and not on behalf of the organization, Etessam told the B.A.R. it should matter to LGBTQ voters and leaders if Kellman doesn’t win her race then it could be 2031 before California has another LGBTQ statewide elected leader serving in Sacramento.

“She is just intelligent with a lot of gravitas, and yet, I think she has that political presence without the – for lack of a better word for it – cheesiness. She can play big but still be very real,” said Etessam, a co-owner of the new online community for out women Venus that launched in September.

Were Kellman an out male candidate, Etessam said she is “near certain those endorsements from the LGBTQIA organizations would be rolling in. I do think there is a miss there.”

Another co-host of the fundraiser was Jack Song, a gay man who is a San Francisco film commissioner. He told the B.A.R. he first met her at a leadership summit that EQCA held earlier this year and was impressed with her “fresh energy,” and “grit” along with the issues she has been highlighting.

“For me, I think the Democratic Party needs fresh, new ideas, and Janelle represents the fresh, new ideas the party needs,” said Song. “She will bring a new perspective and experience to government. I have not been this excited about a statewide candidate in a while, probably since Gavin Newsom first ran for lieutenant governor.”

Lara had formed a lieutenant governor campaign account but isn’t expected to enter the race, the filing deadline for which is in early March. He has come under renewed fire for his handling of insurance issues in the state, with fresh calls this week that he resign.

None of the other LGBTQ leaders who have also pulled papers for various positions that will appear on the 2026 ballot have formally announced bids. Their doing so allows them to park money in their campaign accounts without having to actually run for election.

Should Kellman pull off a victory, she would make history as the first out woman to win election to one of California’s statewide executive offices. The first LGBTQ person believed to have held statewide office was Tony Miller, a gay man and Democratic lawyer who was appointed to the vacant secretary of state position in 1994. Miller, however, lost his bid that year for a full term in the position, and in 1998, he again came up short in his bid for lieutenant governor.

To learn more about Kellman, visit her website at janellekellman.com .

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http://www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook's online companion. This week's column reported on the outcomes of LGBTQ candidates across the U.S. running in off-year races November 4.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Threads @ https://www.threads.net/@matthewbajko and on Bluesky @ https://bsky.app/profile/politicalnotes.bsky.social .

Got a tip on LGBTQ politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or email [email protected].