Atheist Judy Amabile Wins Democratic Primary for Colorado House Seat

Since 2013, KC Becker has represented the 13th District of Colorado in the State House. But after four election cycles, she’s term-limited out this time around, opening the door for a new representative in a heavily blue district.

On Tuesday night, Judy Amabile picked up the baton for the Democrats, running unopposed for the seat. She will face Republican Kevin Sipple, who was soundly defeated by Becker in 2018, this November.

Even more interesting? Amabile is an open atheist who describes herself as a “recovering Catholic.”

According to the Freethought Equality Fund PAC, which endorsed her candidacy, she’s progressive and eager to work on climate change and health care:

As an entrepreneur, employer, mother, and hardworking community activist, Amabile is known for creative problem solving, open-mindedness, and pragmatism. She is skilled at bringing people together, building consensus, and getting things done. Her policy priorities include increasing the minimum wage to a living wage and providing paid family leave, addressing climate change and curtailing the power of the oil and gas industry, transitioning to a single payer healthcare system and advancing effective treatment for people with mental illness, and strengthening societal pillars of housing, education, transportation, union safeguards, criminal justice, internet access, and banking fairness to solve economic injustices. Amabile is a recovering Catholic and an atheist.

Amabile told me earlier today that her faith (or lack thereof) never came up in the primary because voters were far more interested in the issues. She anticipated that would be the case in the general election as well.

There was never any hesitation, though, about using the word “atheist.” That’s just who she is — even the term “spiritual” never seemed right to her — and she’s “not trying to hide anything.”

None of that should make a difference to voters since she’s not using her platform (or potential office) to promote her personal views. Her progressive platform shows you what she hopes to accomplish. That should matter far more than a religious label.

You can donate to Amabile’s campaign here.