Lori Lipman Brown, former member of the Nevada Senate and now a lobbyist for the Secular Coalition for America, stands outside her office building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Tony Batt/Review-Journal.

WASHINGTON -- As the chief lobbyist for atheists in the nation's capital, former state Sen. Lori Lipman Brown is keeping a close eye on the Nov. 7 midterm elections.

Democrats may gain a majority in the House and possibly the Senate. For Brown, 48, such a result might change her job dramatically.

"There are some things we would like to see moved that haven't gone anywhere under current (Republican) leadership, and some things that we would prefer not to be spending our time fighting against," Brown said.

For example, Brown would like to see progress on legislation that would require all pharmacies to fill prescriptions for birth control or refer customers to someone who will if a pharmacist has religious or ethical objections against the prescription.

On the other hand, Brown hopes for a lull in legislation that would permit military chaplains to evangelize soldiers.

"It's not surprising that an atheist would think there would be a more friendly environment with a Democratic Congress," said Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs for the conservative Family Research Council.

"She has a very tough, uphill battle. Usually atheists like to quiet religious voices by going through the courts instead of the legislature. I'm glad she's going through the legislature instead of the courts," McClusky said.

He says he thinks Brown would have a tougher time succeeding in advancing the cause in Congress than she would through the courts.

Brown began working in September 2005 as a lobbyist for the Secular Coalition for America, a nonprofit group of humanists and atheists who want to keep religion out of federal legislation.

After more than a year in the job, Brown said she is surprised by how committed she has become to the separation of church and state.

"A USA Today article came out about me on my first day, so a lot of people read about me," Brown said.

"I started getting calls from some people who were near tears. You could hear it in their voice. They were saying, 'I've been afraid to tell anyone I'm an atheist, and I'm so glad you're there doing this.' And I got e-mails from parents whose kids were being ostracized by all the other kids at school," she said.

But Brown said she has been treated respectfully by members of Congress and religious groups who also believe in the separation of church and state and frequently lobby with her.

From 1992 to 1994, Brown served in the Nevada Senate and became the target of threats and hate mail as an advocate for gun control, gay rights and abortion rights.

She lost her bid for re-election after her opponent, Kathy Augustine, charged Brown refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance that began each legislative day.

Brown, who was the only secular Jew in the state Senate, said she left the chamber to avoid participating in the daily prayer that referred to Christ. She filed a defamation lawsuit that was settled when Augustine and three other Republicans acknowledged that their claims were false.

Brown has acknowledged it took her a long time to recover from her defeat by Augustine, who went on to become state controller and was impeached before her death three months ago.

"I was kind of shocked like most people are after hearing of an untimely death," Brown said. Augustine's husband is charged with murder. "I had gotten over my anger back in the '90s, and moved past that."

Nevada's congressional delegation splits along party lines on issues important to Brown's group.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is given a 100 percent rating by the coalition for his votes for stem cell research and against President Bush's judicial nominees.

The coalition gives Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., a rating of 0 for his votes on the same issues.

In the House, Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Democrat, receives a 90 percent rating compared to 20 percent for Reps. Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter, both Republicans.

A personable woman, Brown lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Paul, who works for U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group. Although she says she enjoyed living in Las Vegas, Brown plans to remain in the nation's capital for the rest of her career.

"I really wouldn't care if 99.9 percent of the people in the United States had a different belief than I do," Brown said.

"I get along fine with people of different beliefs just as long as they don't impose their beliefs on me or my government."