FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2026
Contact: cbeyer@cfequality.org
Center for Freethought Equality PAC Endorses 3 Nonreligious and 6 Religious Allied Candidates for Federal and State Office
“These nine candidates demonstrate that secular and religious allies can unite around shared values to defend democratic institutions”
WASHINGTON –The Center for Freethought Equality (CFE), the advocacy and political arm of the American Humanist Association, is proud to announce its PAC’s latest endorsement of nine candidates running for federal and state office in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Dakota, and Vermont.
This slate brings together nonreligious, unaffiliated and allied leaders fighting to protect church-state separation and safeguard public institutions at the state and federal levels:
Junie Joseph (Colorado State House, District 10): Junie Joseph is a Christian and an ally of our community.
Kris Williams (Iowa State House, District 8): Kris Williams is nonreligious.
Shenea Booth (Nevada State House, District 96): Shenea Booth is a Christian and an ally of our community.
Lorena Austin (Arizona State House, District 9): Lorena Austin is religiously unaffiliated.
Richard Pan (U.S. House, California District 6): Dr. Richard Pan is a Presbyterian and an ally of our community.
Claire Snyder-Hall (Delaware State House, District 14): Claire Snyder-Hall is a Christian and an ally of our community.
Cindy Banyai (Florida State House, District 78): Dr. Cindy Banyai is culturally Catholic and advocates for evidence-based policymaking.
Lukas Maughan (North Dakota State House, District 43): Lukas Maughan is a Roman Catholic and an ally of our community.
Mark Yuengling (Vermont State House, Windsor 2 District): Mark Yuengling is religiously unaffiliated.
“We're thrilled to see such a dedicated group of leaders stepping up to run for office this cycle, bringing a genuine commitment to representing their communities with honesty and integrity,” said Fish Stark, Executive Director of the Center for Freethought Equality PAC. “As Humanists, we don’t expect our allies to hold identical beliefs on the origins of the universe; what’s important is standing together on common ground. What our endorsees share is an absolute belief that all people are deserving of life, dignity and autonomy, and an ironclad commitment to the separation of church and state. This sort of coalition building is vital when facing an oppressive political climate for the nonreligious and religious minorities. These nine candidates demonstrate that secular and religious allies can unite around shared values to defend democratic institutions.”
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The Center for Freethought Equality advocates for issues the humanist and atheist community cares about like the separation of church and state, protecting civil liberties, and advancing progressive policies. The CFE also has an affiliated political action committee that works to increase the number of open humanists and atheists in public office at all levels of government. A list of federal, state, local and former elected officials who identify with the humanist and atheist community can be found here.
