The FFRF Action Fund and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania are celebrating a major victory after voters across Pennsylvania overwhelmingly supported the retention of Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht.
The results preserve a fair-minded court committed to protecting the separation of state and church and our environment. At the same time, FFRF Action Fund demonstrated the strength of a new model of early investment, targeted voter contact and volunteer mobilization that will guide our work heading into 2026.
The Lehigh Valley was a centerpiece of this success. The FFRF Action Fund helped fund a robust Conservation Voters PA program that made direct voter contact through in-person outreach and built a strong network of secular and pro-environmental volunteers. The area sits at the heart of Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, one of the most competitive in the country. Former Congressional Freethought Caucus member Rep. Susan Wild lost her 2024 reelection by just 4,062 votes — underscoring how critical the Lehigh Valley will be in future statewide and federal elections. Wild wrote an op-ed emphasizing how the retention races are vital to preserving the separation of state and church, protecting the environment, and improving quality of life in the Lehigh Valley.
By providing early strategic funding, the FFRF Action Fund helped Conservation Voters PA launch its voter education and engagement campaign. That early investment laid the foundation for success — ensuring organizers could reach thousands of voters with a simple message: Courts matter. The campaign defended judges who have upheld environmental protection, reproductive freedom and the separation of state and church while countering the influx of outside spending from far-right groups.
As part of its broader education campaign, Conservation Voters PA organized a public forum and virtual discussion about the importance of the courts. This notable event featured our senior policy counsel, Ryan Jayne, who spoke about the vital role courts play in upholding the separation of state and church.
The partnership between Conservation Voters PA and FFRF Action Fund reflects the broader strategy to use judicial and state-level elections to build long-term power. The Lehigh Valley program was designed to win in 2025, and create infrastructure for future fights — recruiting volunteers, building regional leadership and keeping voters engaged on issues that shape democracy itself.
The same approach will guide our next major campaigns, including the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the 2026 midterms in Wisconsin, and abortion ballot initiatives. The lessons from Pennsylvania — early money, voter education and direct engagement in swing regions — will serve as the foundation for expanding secular voters’ influence nationwide.
“Judicial independence is essential to protecting the separation of state and church,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund. “Our early support in Pennsylvania helped make that case directly to voters and built a structure that will carry into 2026 and beyond.”
“We’re grateful to the FFRF Action Fund for partnering with us from the start,” says Molly C. Parzen, executive director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. “Their early investment and clear-eyed strategy made it possible to build a winning campaign in the Lehigh Valley and across the commonwealth.”
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
Conservation Voters of PA is the people-powered statewide political voice for the environment. We elect leaders who champion our environment, we promote racially and economically just environmental policy, we educate Pennsylvanians about key issues, and we hold our elected officials accountable.