Hi John,

 

The Freethought Equality Fund has endorsed three members of our community for the Texas State House in Houston, Texas. Joshua Markle, Aurelia Wagner, and Ashton Woods are challengers in competitive Democratic primary races on March 3, 2020. Short bios of these endorsed candidates are below, as are links to support their campaigns. Please be as geneous as you can.

 

 

You can learn more about Joshua Markle's campaign here and make a generous donation to his campaign here.
 
You can learn more about Aurelia Wagner's campaign here and make a generous donation to her campaign here.
 
You can learn more about Ashton Woods' campaign here and make a generous donation to his campaign here.

 

Joshua Markle is running for the Texas State House in District 128. He is an Air Force veteran, works for a Sign Language interpreting agency, and lives with his husband in Houston. Markle “believes in progressive values and supports all families,” and is running “to better the lives of teachers, veterans, and everyday Texans.” His policy goals include fully funding public schools and increasing teacher pay, making community colleges and technical schools tuition free, expanding Medicaid, reforming the criminal justice system, legalizing recreational marijuana, enacting a living wage, and addressing climate change. Markle is an atheist.

 

Aurelia Wagner is running for the Texas State House in District 147. Wagner is a teacher and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Her campaign is about fighting for a better Houston. Her policy goals include establishing a living wage and ensuring pay equity, providing tuition free public higher education, making housing affordable and preventing seniors and low income communities from being forced from their homes, reducing public school class sizes and fully funding public education, offering full-day pre-K and Kindergarten to all children, protecting a woman’s right to choose, removing taxes on feminine hygiene products, legalizing recreational marijuana use, and accepting the Medicaid expansion program. Wagner is an atheist.

 

Ashton P. Woods is running for the Texas State House in District 146. Ashton is a strong advocate for the secular, LGBTQIA, homeless, and immigrant communities. He has also fought to end rape and sexual assault, violence against people of color, and unjust criminal punishment. His campaign “is about bringing people together to create comprehensive solutions for all of us.” Ashton’s policy priorities include: increased investment in healthcare services including provisions for mental health treatment as well as HIV and other stigmatized conditions, refocusing investment in programs that improve and uplift rather than criminalize members of our community, and advancing economic programs to increase employment opportunities and ensure livable wages. He is the co-founder and lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Houston, a member of the Houston Mayor’s LGBT Advisory Board, and co-chair of the Black Humanist Alliance an adjunct organization of the American Humanist Association. Ashton is a humanist and atheist.

 

You can see all our 2020 endorsed candidates here.

 

 

Sincerely,

Ron Millar

PAC Coordinator

 

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, Freethought Equality Fund and our endorsed candidates are voluntary and are not tax deductible.