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Hi John,
The Freethought Equality Fund[[link removed]] has endorsed great candidates for this election year and I encourage you to volunteer your time to help get them elected. Volunteering is possible during this pandemic by using your smartphone to call and text voters from the safety and comfort of your home.
The first candidates I would urge you to donate your time are Athena Salman, Juan Mendez, and Melody Hernandez. Juan and Athena are incumbents, and Melody is seeking to join them in the Arizona legislature. They are running as a team (the Millennial Clean Elections Team). Their campaigns are funded through the Arizona public funding system -- rather than by individual donors -- so volunteers are essential to their success[[link removed]].
They are facing a competitive primary on August 4 so please volunteer today![[link removed]]
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Athena Salman[[link removed]] is running for re-election to Arizona’s State House in District 26. She is born and raised in Arizona to an immigrant family from Mexico, Germany and Palestine. Salman is as a recognized progressive leader fighting for human rights, public education, economic justice, free and fair elections, climate action and universal healthcare. Her legislation forced Arizona prisons to supply menstrual products to incarcerated women[[link removed]], leading to multiple acclaims including the Top 10 Newsmakers to Watch in 2019[[link removed]] by the Arizona Republic. Salman is the Ranking Member on the House Elections Committee, serves on the Rules Committee, and is the Democratic Whip. Salman is an atheist.
Juan Mendez[[link removed]] is running for re-election to the Arizona State Senate in District 26. With a lifelong commitment to social justice and a passion for politics, Mendez is committed to building strong communities. On the City of Phoenix Human Services Advisory Committee he worked to improve senior and family service centers and programs for the homeless. In addition, he managed the nonprofit Community Voice Mail to connect people living in poverty and experiencing homelessness with jobs, housing, and hope. In the Arizona State Senate, he serves on the Government, Natural Resources and Energy, and Water and Agriculture Committees. Mendez wants “a government that works to make people successful — instead of a government that works for special interest.” His policy priorities include strengthening public education and protecting children in schools, increasing access to affordable housing, ensuring a living wage and employee protections, and comprehensive immigration reform. Mendez is an atheist.
Melody Hernandez[[link removed]] is running for the Arizona State House in District 26 (there are two House seats in this district). Hernandez is a paramedic and has been working in emergency medical service for five years. She has a long history of being involved in her community ranging from volunteering to providing medical aid to asylum seekers to tutoring students in shelters. In addition, she has worked as a campaign manager for progressive candidates and served as the first Latina Chair of the District 26 Democrats. Hernandez is a member of the “Millennial Clean Elections Team” with Juan Mendez and Athena Salman, she and her colleagues are running as publicly-funded candidates because they “understand that the biggest threat to our democracy is dirty money.” Their policy priorities include improving public education by paying teachers more and bringing class sizes down, offering Medicaid to all Arizonans, investing in clean energy and creating clean jobs to address climate change, and providing universal access to contraception and protecting reproductive rights. Hernandez is an agnostic.
You can see all our 2020 endorsed candidates here[[link removed]]. Please volunteer for these or other candidates during this very important election year!
Thank you for your membership and support.
Sincerely,
Ron Millar
PAC Coordinator
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This message is for the sole use of members of the Center for Freethought Equality. The mission of the Freethought Equality Fund (FEF) is to achieve equality for the nontheist community by increasing the number of open humanists and atheists, and allies, in public office at all levels of government. The FEF is affiliated with the Center for Freethought Equality, which is the advocacy and political arm of the American Humanist Association. Donations to the Center for Freethought Equality[[link removed]], Freethought Equality Fund[[link removed]] and our endorsed candidates are voluntary and are not tax deductible.
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