2023 Endorsements | Freethought Equality Fund

2023 Endorsements

	The Candidates Below Deserve Your Support There are many municipal and four state legislature elections in 2023. Below are the candidates endorsed by the Center for Freethought Equality Political Action Committee (PAC). Please be generous with your financial support to maintain and increase the number of humanist and atheist candidates in elected office. Four state legislatures are up for election in 2023: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia. Be engaged in all elections federal, state, and local!
	2023 Congressional Candidate Support our candidate for the Rhode Island CD1 election Aaron Regunberg is running in a special election for Rhode Island’s First Congressional District. This seat was formerly held by David Cicilline. See Aaron’s campaign website here, and his donation page here. Aaron served in the Rhode Island House of Representations from 2014 to 2018 and has also been endorsed by Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8) and Jared Huffman (CA-2), co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. Aaron is Jewish and an atheist.
	New Jersey State Candidates Support our New Jersey legislative candidates Andrew Zwicker is running for re-election to the New Jersey State Senate (District 16), campaign website and donation page. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2016 to 2022 and was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 2021. Dr. Zwicker is an atheist. Jodi Murphy is running for election to the New Jersey State Senate (District 39), campaign Facebook and donation page. She is a former Westwood (NJ) Councilmember. Ms. Murphy is an atheist. Liz Graner is running for election to the New Jersey State Assembly (District 21), campaign website and donation page. Ms. Graner is a secular humanist. Roy Freiman is running for re-election to the New Jersey State Assembly (District 16), campaign website and donation page. He is the incumbent and was first elected in 2017. Mr. Freiman is Jewish and ally of our community. Gabriel Franco is running for election to the New Jersey State Senate (District 9), campaign website and donation page. Mr. Franco is a Christian and ally of our community. Mitchelle Drulis is running for election to the New Jersey State Assembly (District 16), campaign website and donation page. She is running for an open seat. Ms. Drulis is Catholic and ally of our community. Christine Clarke is running for election to the New Jersey State Senate (District 25), campaign website and donation page. Ms. Clarke is not affiliated with any religion. Joseph Atura is running for election to the New Jersey State Assembly (District 9), campaign website and donation page. Mr. Atura is an atheist.
	Virginia State Candidates Support our Virginia legislative candidates Mary Barthelson ran for the Virginia General Assembly (District 7). She earned 8% of the vote in the June 20 Democratic primary finishing fourth in a field of four candidates. Ms. Barthelson is an agnostic humanist. Ghazala Hashmi is running for re-election to the Virginia State Senate (District 15), campaign website and donation page. She is the incumbent and was first elected in 2019. Dr. Hashmi is a Muslim and ally of our community. Ronald Lee ran for the Virginia General Assembly (District 86). He withdrew from the race on April 10, 2023. Dr. Lee is an atheist and secular humanist. Benjamin Litchfield ran for the Virginia State Senate (District 27). He earned 41% of the vote in the June 20 Democratic primary finishing second in a field of two candidates. Mr. Litchfield is an agnostic. Victoria Luevanos is running for election to the Virginia State Senate (District 20), campaign website and donation page. Ms. Luevanos is an atheist. Dave Norris ran for the Virginia General Assembly (District 54). He earned 34% of the vote in the June 20 Democratic primary finishing second in a field of three candidates. Mr. Norris is a Unitarian Universalist and humanist. Cat Porterfield is running for the Virginia General Assembly (District 99), campaign website and donation page. Ms. Porterfield is a Christian and an ally of the humanist and atheist community. Jeremy Rodden is running for the Virginia General Assembly (District 90), campaign website and donation page. Mr. Rodden is a humanist. Kellen Squire ran for the Virginia General Assembly (District 55). He earned 30% of the vote in the June 20 Democratic primary finishing second in a field of two candidates. Mr. Squire was raised Methodist and is an ally of our community.
	Local Incumbents Support our local government incumbents running for re-election *Maryland* James Kole is running for re-election to the Laurel City Council (Ward 1), campaign website and donation page. Mr. Kole is a Diest and was first elected in 2021. *Montana* Danny Choriki is running for re-election to the Billings City Council (Ward 3), campaign website and donation page. Mr. Choriki is a humanist and was first elected in 2019. He is also a board member of the Association of Secular Elected Officials. *New York* John Deer is running for re-election to the Manlius Town Board, campaign social media and donation page. Mr. Deer is an atheist and was first elected in 2021. Heather Waters is running for re-election to the Manlius Town Board, campaign website and donation page. Ms. Waters is a nontheist and was first elected in 2019. *Texas* Jalen McKee-Rodriguez won re-election to the San Antonio City Council District 2 on May 6, 2023 with 56% of the vote. Mr. McKee-Rodriguez is an agnostic and was first elected in 2021. *Virginia* Karl Frisch is running for re-election to the Fairfax County School Board, campaign website and donation page. Mr. Frisch is an agnostic and was first elected in 2019. *Washington* Kristiana de Leon is running for re-election to the Black Diamond City Council, campaign website and donation page. Ms. de Leon is a humanist and atheist and was first elected in 2019. She is also a board member of the Association of Secular Elected Officials.
	Local Challengers and Open Seats Support our local government candidates running for office *California* Janessa Goldbeck is running for San Diego County Supervisor, campaign website and donation page. Ms. Goldbeck is an agnostic. *Florida* Mike Grieco is running for Mayor of Miami Beach, campaign website and donation page. He was a member of the Florida State House from 2018 to 2022 and also served in the Dade County State Attorney’s office and on the Miami Beach City Commission. Mr. Grieco was raised Catholic and is not religious now. *Wisconsin* Aaron Wojciechowski ran for Mayor of Oshkosh earning 47% of the vote in the April 4 election. Mr. Wojciechowski is non-religious and is a City Councilmember of Oshkosh.
	Early 2024 Endorsements *California* Konstantine Anthony is running for Los Angeles County Supervisor, campaign website and donation page. He is currently the Mayor of Burbank, California. Mayor Anthony is an atheist. *Florida* Carlos Guillermo Smith is running for the Florida State Senate (District 17), campaign website and donation page. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2022. Mr. Smith is an agnostic. Sarah Henry is running for the Florida House of Representatives (District 38), campaign website and donation page. Ms. Henry worked at the American Humanist Association and is nonreligious. *U.S. Congress* Joshua Bocanegra is running for the U.S. Congress in California’s 30th District, campaign website and donation page. Mr. Bocanegra is an atheist.