Elementor Support 
FFRF Action Fund is pleased to endorse Jason Benell in his bid for Dallas County (Iowa) Supervisor, District 1.
Benell is vying for an open seat; the Board of Supervisors is expanding from three to five seats, and all are up for election. Benell will be on the Democratic primary ballot on June 2, where he currently faces no opponent. The election will be countywide. Voter turnout will likely be high this election cycle due to prominent statewide races.
The FFRF Action Fund endorsed Benell in 2023 when he was running for the Des Moines City Council, though the nonpartisan incumbent defeated him. Dallas County, which includes western parts of Des Moines, is a Republican-leaning county. Benell is the president of Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, a social and educational group dedicated to supporting local atheists and freethinkers. Benell is an open atheist and is running as openly secular, as he did in his last race.
Dallas County is the fastest-growing county in the Midwest. Benell is collaborating with Dallas County Democrats on his fundraising efforts to counter Republican spending, which will likely be high in the race, and to offset Republicans’ voter registration advantage. There are currently two candidates on the Republican primary ballot.
Benell is running for Dallas County Supervisor for Iowa’s future, working to secure water infrastructure funding, address utility pricing and ensure safe and fair immigration enforcement. As for state/church issues, Benell identified chaplains in public schools, voucher schemes for religious private schools, book bans, a Religious Freedom Restoration Act and conversion therapy as vital issues facing Iowa. Benell would be a stellar secular ally to have in public office in Iowa.
Benell was FFRF Action Fund’s “Secularist of the Week” in March for his Des Moines Register op-ed, in which he, as an atheist combat veteran, refuted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s zealous calls for an “American Crusade” and claims about the nonreligious. Benell was also awarded the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Nothing Fails Like Prayer” award in 2022 for delivering a secular invocation before the Iowa Legislature.
FFRF Action Fund joins the Center for Freethought Equality PAC and Fannette Elliot, West Des Moines At-Large City Council member, in endorsing Benell.
Learn more about Benell by visiting his campaign website here.
