Gay marriage advocates this week laid out their strategy for winning more states.

In an email to supporters, Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, asserted that momentum was on his side.

“This past year has brought our campaign galvanizing gains: winning seven states, solidifying and diversifying a national majority, and delivering a powerful blow to federal marriage discrimination in the Supreme Court,” Wolfson said. “This irrefutable momentum confirms that the national strategy we have pursued is the strategy that will bring us to nationwide victory, and that full victory is within reach – within years, not decades. The key to winning is, as it has always been, that when we get to the Supreme Court with the next marriage cases, we go with more states and more support creating the climate for the justices to do the right thing.”

The group announced that it would target four states in the near term: Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey and Oregon.

In Hawaii and New Jersey advocates are looking to the courts to move those states into the marriage equality column. A lawsuit is also underway in Illinois. But legislative action could come first. A stalled marriage bill is expected to face its final legislative hurdle in the fall. Voters in Oregon are expected to weigh in on the issue next year. Freedom to Marry announced a $250,000 donation to fund the Oregon ballot campaign.

An additional 9 states are being considered for 2015-2016. They are Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. With the exception of Colorado and Ohio, laws in all those states are being challenged through the courts. Colorado recognizes gay couples with civil unions, while Nevada does so through domestic partnerships.

Freedom to Marry also announced that it had hired Richard Carlbom as director of state campaigns.

Last year, Carlbom successfully campaigned against a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution limiting marriage to heterosexual unions and this year successfully lobbied for passage of a marriage equality law.