11/7: UPDATED SPREADSHEET HERE
How many non-religious candidates are on ballots all across the country on Tuesday?
With tremendous help from the Freethought Equality Fund PAC and the Center for Freethought Equality — both of which are affiliated with the American Humanist Association — we now have an answer to that question.
15 non-religious candidates or members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus are running for federal office, 10 of whom are running for re-election.
None of them are Republicans.
Who are they? Which states do they represent? All of that information is now compiled in this spreadsheet, and I’ll be tracking every election tomorrow in real time. (I’ll also be posting about some victories separately on this site.)
These candidates are atheists, agnostics, people who are “spiritual but not religious,” and Unitarian Universalists who don’t believe in a Higher Power. Some candidates reject a non-religious label but clearly don’t believe in the supernatural. There’s a Deist, a “Realist,” and an “Inventor of religions.” Not on the list are people who didn’t give a religious label, who only advocated for church/state separation, or who said they were allies of the secular community without counting themselves in that grouping. (Those things are great, but that’s not what I’m tracking here.)
The details on this list came together courtesy of public statements, a known list of secular officials, and a candidate questionnaire sent out by the Freethought Equality Fund (which was followed up with phone interviews). The candidates also approved of the brief bios posted on the FEF’s website to avoid any misunderstanding. It’s the most comprehensive look at atheist candidates nationwide that I’ve ever seen.
If you spot any mistakes on the spreadsheet, please let me know.
(Image via Shutterstock)