Common Cause Delaware has chosen Claire Snyder-Hall to be its Executive Director. 

Snyder-Hall previously led the state organization on a temporary basis, both between 2015-16 and also for the past 11 months.

“We are delighted to have Claire now serving as Executive Director of the Delaware office,” said Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn. “There are so many challenges facing our democracy, including the urgent need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Claire is passionate about our work — and a great asset to our team as we work to strengthen our government ‘by the People’.”

“Claire brings her extensive formal education in politics and government, a broad range of administrative experience in public engagement and advocacy, and significant experience in the political realm,” said Common Cause Delaware Advisory Board Chair Jeff Raffel. “Most importantly, Claire brings her strong commitment to democratic values as manifested throughout her life and career. She is a valued colleague and a great organizer. Delaware and Common Cause Delaware are fortunate to have her back!”

“I am excited about the work Common Cause Delaware has been doing — particularly, getting automatic voter registration passed during the 2021 legislative session,” Snyder-Hall said. “Over the past few months, we have been working to ensure that Delaware’s redistricting process prioritizes communities of interest. And we’re urging our Senators to get the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act through the Senate and onto President Biden’s desk for a signature.”

Snyder-Hall will work with Common Cause Delaware members, the state advisory board, and a range of allied organizations to address key democracy reform issues in the First State.

Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization with more than 1.5 million members dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process. 

Common Cause Delaware has been one of the state’s most effective watchdog groups and has played a leading role in the passage of campaign finance, transparency, and lobbying reforms at the state and local levels, since its founding in 1972.

Snyder-Hall joins Common Cause Delaware after working in the “democracy space” for almost thirty years. She began her career as a political philosophy professor with a specialization in democratic theory, spending twelve years on the faculty of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, before relocating to Rehoboth Beach in 2011. In addition to research and teaching, she also led civic engagement activities at George Mason University, as part of the American Democracy Project. Snyder-Hall has been an associate of the Kettering Foundation since 1992, an organization that researches “how to make democracy work as it should.” Her most recent work with the foundation focused on strengthening the connections between state legislators and public life.

She holds a PhD from Rutgers University and a BA cum laude from Smith College.