November 10th, 2022
Contact: Ron Millar, rmillar@cfequality.org
(Washington, DC, November 10, 2022) – The results of this election cycle mark continued gains for the humanist and atheist community in the electoral arena, which will help create a safer, saner, stronger, and more secular America. More than a quarter of our country’s population now identifies as religiously unaffiliated, and they are making their values known at the ballot box and are running for office.
The Center for Freethought Equality, the political and advocacy arm of the American Humanist Association, applauds the successes of humanist, atheist, and agnostic candidates like Monique Priestley, who won a seat in the Vermont State House; Bob Carter, who won a seat in the Montana State House; and Elinor Levin, who won a seat in the Iowa State House. They will join members of the humanist and atheist community who won re-election like Howard Watts, a state representative in Nevada; Megan Hunt, a state senator in Nebraska; Juan Mendez, a state senator in Arizona; Julie Mayfield, a state senator in North Carolina; and Jared Huffman, a member of the U.S. Congress from California. We are also very pleased that Eric Sorensen, who identifies as spiritual but not religious, won a seat in the U.S. Congress from Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. A full list of the Center for Freethought Equality PAC’s 2022 endorsements and their election results can be found at http://freethoughtequality.org/2022-endorsements/. The Center for Freethought Equality is proud of all the humanist, atheist, agnostic, and nonreligious candidates who ran for office this year, and the growing engagement of our community in the political process.
Prior to the 2016 election there were only 5 elected officials serving in state legislatures who publicly identified with the humanist and atheist community. After the 2016 election that number grew to 17, 47 after the 2018 election, and 63 after the 2020 election. Once the newly elected officials are sworn into office in 2023, there will be 70 or more humanist and atheist elected officials at the federal and state level serving in over 30 states. A list of current humanist and atheist federal, state, and local elected officials can be found at https://www.cfequality.org/secular-elected-officials.
“As the humanist and atheist community continues to grow and becomes more engaged in the electoral arena, including serving in public office, our nation’s public policies will reflect the values of our community to prioritize social, economic, and environmental justice using evidence-based solutions. Building political power for the humanist and atheist community will establish a more equitable and sustainable future for America,” said Nadya Dutchin, executive director of the Center for Freethought Equality. Dutchin continued, “Our open participation will also increase the visibility of humanists and atheists and help remove the lingering bias that still exists against our community.”
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The Center for Freethought Equality (www.cfequality.org) is the advocacy and political arm of the American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org). The Center for Freethought Equality’s affiliated political action committee (PAC), the Freethought Equality Fund (www.freethoughtequality.org), is working to achieve equality for the atheist and humanist community by increasing the number of humanists and atheists, and allies, in public office at all levels of government.
