{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Gabby Salinas","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nGabby Salinas is a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 96 [1]. She assumed office on November 5, 2024, following her election as the first Latina and the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Tennessee legislature from Shelby County [5]. Her current term concludes on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nSalinas is seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 96 in the 2026 cycle [1]. She is scheduled to appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026 [1]. As of May 2026, the outcome of this upcoming election remains unknown.\n\nDuring her tenure, Salinas has served as the chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, a role she assumed after emerging victorious at an online party convention in August 2024 [7]. In March 2026, she met with Yasser Lopez, an 18-year-old Memphis high school student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at the West Tennessee Detention Facility [8].\n\n## Background and education\n\nGabriela Salinas was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia [2]. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 1996, arriving first in New York before relocating to Memphis, Tennessee, when she was seven years old to receive life-saving cancer treatment at St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital [10][12]. Her family faced significant hardship shortly after their arrival, including a severe car accident that killed her father and sister and paralyzed her mother [3][10].\n\nSalinas attended Christian Brothers University, where she graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry [1][11]. She has also pursued a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences [4].\n\n## Career\n\nGabby Salinas earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in biochemistry from Christian Brothers University in 2011 [1][11]. Her interest in science was sparked by her experiences as a patient and the curiosity aroused by her treatments [11]. Upon graduation, she began working at St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital in Memphis [11]. She is also described as pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences [4].\n\nSalinas self-describes as a scientist and healthcare advocate [4][9]. Her professional background is rooted in her work as a research scientist [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nGabby Salinas served as chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, leading the local party to historic wins in 2022 [9]. She assumed this role after emerging as the new party chair at an online convention on August 28, following the withdrawal of former chairman Corey Strong from the balloting [7].\n\nSalinas ran for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 97 in 2020 but did not win election to that office [4]. She subsequently ran for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 96 in 2024, winning the Democratic primary with 43 percent of the vote against Telisa Franklin [13]. In the November 2024 general election, she won unopposed, becoming the first Latina elected to the Tennessee legislature and the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve in that body [5][9][13].\n\nSalinas assumed office as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 96 on November 5, 2024 [1]. Her current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1]. She is running for re-election in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nGabby Salinas assumed office in the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 96 on November 5, 2024 [1]. As a member of the Democratic Party, she serves as the first Latina elected to the Tennessee legislature and the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to hold a seat in the state\u2019s House of Representatives [5][13]. Her legislative work is informed by her background as a research scientist and three-time cancer survivor [4][9].\n\nDuring her tenure, Salinas has focused on healthcare access and public safety. She sponsored legislation aimed at establishing a dedicated cold case unit within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to address the state's growing number of missing persons cases [6]. In March 2026, she met with Yasser Lopez, an 18-year-old Memphis student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, highlighting her engagement with constituent issues regarding immigration enforcement [8].\n\nSalinas is also active in party leadership, having previously served as the chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, where she helped lead the local party to historic wins in 2022 [7][9]. She continues to advocate for policy positions rooted in her experience as a former St. Jude patient, including support for fully-funded public schools and fair wages [4].\n\n## Family\n\nGabby Salinas was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia [2]. In 1996, her family immigrated to the United States, initially arriving in New York before relocating to Memphis so she could receive life-saving cancer treatment at St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital [10]. She arrived in Memphis at age seven, unable to walk due to a tumor [5].\n\nShortly after their arrival in 1997, Salinas\u2019 family was involved in a severe car accident that resulted in the death of her father and sister, while her mother was paralyzed [3][10]. Salinas has described herself as a three-time cancer survivor [4][9].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Gabby Salinas - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Gabby_Salinas)\n[2] [Gabby Salinas - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabby_Salinas)\n[3] [About Gabby Salinas](https://www.voteforgabby.com/about-gabby)\n[4] [Gabby Salinas - Run For Something](https://directory.runforsomething.net/candidate/w8189/salinas-gabby/)\n[5] [Former St. Jude patient, Gabby Salinas headed to be a State Rep. | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/memphis-tennessee-state-representative-gabby-salinas-first-latina-rep/522-5586d106-47d4-4c1e-8f7e-6789a767d32a)\n[6] [Gabby Salinas - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/index/tag?tag=Gabby+Salinas)\n[7] [Salinas is new Shelby County Democratic Party leader - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/section/metro/article/23812/salinas-is-new-shelby-county-democratic-party-chairwoman)\n[8] [Tenn. Rep. Salinas meets with Memphis student detained by ICE](https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/03/10/tenn-rep-salinas-meets-with-memphis-student-detained-by-ice/)\n[9] [Gabby Salinas \u2014 LPAC](https://www.teamlpac.com/our-candidates/gabby-salinas)\n[10] [Gabby Salinas](https://www.amactn.org/women-s-conference-bio-pages/gabby-salinas)\n[11] [Gabby Salinas ('11) - Christian Brothers University](https://www.cbu.edu/cbu-sesquicentennial/150-for-150/salinas)\n[12] [Gabriela Salinas \u2013 Women of Achievement](http://womenofachievement.org/heroism/gabriela-salinas/)\n[13] [Gabby Salinas a first for the LGBTQ+ community in TN House - QnotesCarolinas.com](https://qnotescarolinas.com/gabby-salinas-a-first-for-the-lgbtq-community-in-tn-house/)","firstname":"Gabby","lastname":"Salinas","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"AUORBNVq0f"},"token":"gabby_salinas"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"state_representative","o.office":null,"office":"state_house_96","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"State Representative District 96"}