After a volunteer-driven signature gathering effort, the State Party has received their certification from the Lieutenant Governor
11/29/23
The Forward Party was founded in 2021 to give Americans more and better choices at the ballot box. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the leaders and volunteers in the Beehive State, Utahns have a new party to represent their unique and independent spirit.
State Chair Adam Teuscher, Treasurer Phil Boileau, and especially Vice Chair Laura Johnson led the volunteer effort to collect the necessary signatures to achieve party recognition and ballot access. Over several months, and with hundreds of hours of work, the state team was able to bring the Forward message to enough Utahns to hit the threshold necessary, highlighting how well Forward’s values are resonating across the country.
In the state party’s announcement, Chairman Teuscher had this to say:
Utahns have a uniquely independent spirit. We believe that the Forward Party exemplifies Utah’s core principles and that it will take root and thrive here. When that happens, it will be a sea-change in Utah politics. Forward’s success–not just in Utah but across the country–will help foster a truly representative government that’s agile enough to tackle the challenges of our times and collaborative enough to create lasting solutions. That’s something we can all be proud to play a role in building together.
Utahns should be able to register as members of the Party by December 1st, and anyone interested in learning more or volunteering can head to the Utah Forward Party’s website.
The Forward Party is built around the idea that we should be coming together to tackle the issues we see in our communities. There is no top-down policy platform; rather, the Party creates a space for individuals and communities to come together, discuss solutions, and then test them to see if they achieve positive results. Board of Directors member and former Lt. Gov. of Massachusetts Kerry Healey was at the capitol as the signatures were submitted, and had this to say:
We want to see progress around the really serious issues that America is facing, and we can’t do that if no one is willing to speak with one another.
Utah’s Forward Party joins those of Florida and South Carolina in achieving full party status, as well as states such as Connecticut, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, and North Carolina, all of whom have taken significant steps to achieve political status within their states.
The Forward Party is building a national organization to give voice and political power to the large number of independents who don’t feel represented by the legacy parties. This group represents a plurality of Americans, and yet they’re treated as a minority because of a lack of concerted effort. By building this Party from the ground up, the Forward Party will give a voice to this exhausted majority that is more interested in working together to solve problems than in partisanship and ideological battles.
Our core values are:
BOTTOM-UP, NOT TOP-DOWN
Forward empowers leaders to find solutions that work in their communities. We won’t dictate a rigid, top-down policy platform and expect it to work for all Americans.
DIVERSE THINKING ISN’T JUST WELCOME, IT’S REQUIRED
Forward welcomes new ideas and fearless conversations around the issues of the day. We won’t silence debate or refuse to adapt to the modern world.
WORK TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST
Forward strives for collaborative solutions. We’ll make sure they work, and we’ll try something else if they don’t.
ALL ARE WELCOME — LEFT, RIGHT, OR CENTER
Forward is creating a political home for everyone willing to work together in good faith to find practical ways to make this country better.
MORE LISTENING, LESS TALKING
Forward is asking what we can do for your community. We will not ask what your community can do for us.
GRACE AND TOLERANCE
Forward believes in approaching one another with grace and tolerance, finding ways to pick people back up rather than knock them down.
REFORM MINDED
Forward supports election reform policies such as ranked-choice voting and open, nonpartisan primaries to bring more competition and better options to the ballot in local elections.
As more and more Americans grow sick of the outdated two-party system in this country, more and more elected officials are finding a welcoming home in the Forward Party. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of elected leaders reach out to us, tired of being told what’s best for their constituents by out of touch party leaders,” said Lindsey Williams Drath, Forward Party’s CEO. “We believe that voters put people in office in order to solve their problems, and the Forward Party is creating space for these public servants to do just that, without requiring them to adopt policy positions they don’t believe in or know won’t work just to toe the party line.”
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better. https://www.forwardparty.com.
For more information about the Forward Party, please read through our Prospectus and Q1 Fact Sheet.