By: Paul Goldberg – Senior Correspondent | LGBT Politics USA

SACRAMENTO, CA — (August 24, 2026) — Openly LGBTQ lawmakers are preparing to take on an increasingly influential role inside the California Legislature, with several legislators elected to leadership positions across some of Sacramento’s most prominent affinity caucuses for the 2027-2028 legislative session.




The incoming leadership reflects not only the growing number of LGBTQ elected officials in California, but also their increasing influence beyond the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus itself.

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Gay Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) has been elected chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, while lesbian state Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) is poised to lead the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.

Meanwhile, Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) and Assemblymember José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood) will make history as the first Latino leadership team to head the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.

Corey Jackson Elected to Lead California Legislative Black Caucus

Jackson, first elected to the Assembly in 2022 and representing California’s 60th Assembly District, was selected as chair-elect of the California Legislative Black Caucus for the 2027-2028 session.

He will succeed Senator Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) as leader of the influential caucus.

“It is an honor to have been selected as the next chief servant to the members of this historic Caucus as we continue to build 21st century Black power for the next 60 years and beyond,” Jackson said in announcing his election.

Jackson’s elevation is especially notable because his political influence now extends across two major affinity caucuses. In addition to his Black Caucus leadership, Jackson is also a member of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.

His election comes as the Black Caucus prepares an incoming leadership team that also includes Senator Laura Richardson as vice chair-elect, Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins as secretary-elect and Assemblymember Mia Bonta as treasurer-elect.




Caroline Menjivar Set to Lead Women’s Caucus

Senator Caroline Menjivar, a lesbian lawmaker and Marine Corps veteran representing the San Fernando Valley, is also moving into a significant leadership position.

Menjivar, who has served as vice chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, is chair-elect and will succeed Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters).

Her rise comes at a historic moment for women in California government as female representation in the Legislature approaches parity.

“I am honored to lead such a diverse, talented, and effective group of women who serve California with passion and determination every day,” Menjivar said.

Her policy portfolio has included health and human services, reproductive freedom, economic justice and LGBTQ rights.

Menjivar is also secretary-elect of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, giving the senator leadership responsibilities that cross several important constituencies inside the Capitol.




Sabrina Cervantes to Lead California LGBTQ Caucus

The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus will undergo its own historic transition.

Senator Sabrina Cervantes will succeed Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) as chair, while gay Assemblymember José Luis Solache becomes vice chair.

For the first time since the LGBTQ Caucus was founded in 2002, both of its top leadership positions will be held by Latino lawmakers.

Cervantes currently represents California’s 31st Senate District and also chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Thank you to my colleagues for the trust they placed in me to lead this Caucus during a pivotal moment in our history,” Cervantes said. “Today, LGBTQ+ Californians, especially our transgender youth, are facing unprecedented attacks on their rights, dignity and safety.”

The caucus enters the leadership transition after playing a significant role in California’s 2026 legislative and budget agenda.

Among its priorities have been LGBTQ student protections, health care and mental health access, HIV prevention and treatment, protections for transgender Californians, support for LGBTQ veterans and greater privacy protections for sexual orientation and gender identity data.

California’s 2026-27 budget also included a four-year investment exceeding $500 million under the HIV Free-Future Plan, which the LGBTQ Caucus described as the largest one-time state investment in fighting HIV/AIDS in U.S. history.

José Luis Solache Moves Up to Vice Chair

Solache, elected to represent Assembly District 62 in 2024, brings years of local government experience in southeast Los Angeles County to the caucus leadership team.

Before joining the Legislature, he became Lynwood’s first openly gay school board member and later its first openly gay mayor.

“I look forward to serving alongside incoming Chair Cervantes, our fellow caucus members, organizational partners, and advocates to ensure public policy embraces equality and community members can safely live their truths,” Solache said.

Solache has also focused on education policy, including efforts aimed at strengthening implementation of California requirements for inclusive instructional materials.




LGBTQ Caucus Could Grow After Election 2026

The leadership changes may be accompanied by another expansion in LGBTQ representation when California voters head to the polls on November 3, 2026.

One of the most closely watched races involves Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, Senator Sabrina Cervantes’ sister, who is challenging Republican Assemblymember Leticia Castillo in Assembly District 58.

The race is a rematch of their razor-thin 2024 contest, when Castillo defeated Cervantes by only 596 votes.

This time, however, Clarissa Cervantes enters the general election after finishing ahead of Castillo in the June 2026 primary, taking approximately 54.5% of the vote compared with Castillo’s 45.5%.

In the Central Valley, gay Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea is running for the open Assembly District 31 seat against Republican Jim Polsgrove. Perea finished first in the June primary with 44.6% of the vote and could become the first openly LGBTQ state legislator elected from her part of the Central Valley.

Other LGBTQ candidates are fighting more competitive contests, including West Hollywood City Councilmember John Erickson in the open Senate District 24 race.

Candidate Matthew Adams is also seeking an Assembly seat and, if elected, could become California’s first openly asexual state legislator.

LGBTQ Political Influence Extends Beyond One Caucus

The significance of the incoming 2027 leadership is broader than the number of openly LGBTQ lawmakers serving in Sacramento.

Jackson’s leadership of the Black Caucus, Menjivar’s rise within the Women’s Caucus and Latino Caucus, and Cervantes and Solache taking control of the LGBTQ Caucus demonstrate how LGBTQ lawmakers are increasingly participating in leadership across multiple political constituencies.

The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus itself has grown dramatically since being established in 2002, when California became the first state to formally organize a caucus of openly LGBTQ legislators.

It currently includes 14 members, and the November election could push that number even higher.

As California prepares for its 2027-2028 legislative session, openly LGBTQ lawmakers will therefore enter the Capitol not simply with greater representation, but with leadership positions capable of influencing policy agendas across several of the Legislature’s most consequential affinity caucuses.

JRL CHARTS California LGBT Politics will continue tracking California Election 2026 and the growing influence of LGBTQ lawmakers as Sacramento prepares for a new legislative session in 2027.




Paul Goldberg
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