Yesterday, the Forward Party of Pennsylvania announced two candidates for statewide office.
Eric Settle is running for Attorney General, and Chris Foster is running for Treasurer. Both are bringing an independent perspective to offices that require unbiased applications of the law and fiscal analysis, respectively.
You can read the announcement here.
Pennsylvanians are hungry for new and better choices at the ballot box. Media outlets from across Pennsylvania were quick to carry the news:
Speaking to City & State following the event, Yang said fielding statewide candidates during a major presidential election year is an indicator of progress for the Forward Party.
“The fact that Forward has these two statewide candidates is an awesome benchmark for us, and we think it’s going to set the stage for big things,” he said.
“This is a guy who has real leadership in his past and would do a fantastic job as attorney general,”
“Pennsylvania needs a truly independent attorney general not beholden to either legacy party to enforce the law without fear or favor and move the commonwealth not right, not left, but forward,” Settle said in a Forward Party statement.
“… he has chosen to run under the banner of the Forward Party because he knows Pennsylvanians want their attorney general to be independent of partisan ideology in their decision making,” said Whitman.
The Forward Party’s aim to break the partisan deadlock statewide extends beyond electoral victory in the 2024 elections.
“With just two percent of the statewide vote, together, we can establish the Forward Party as a permanent political party in Pennsylvania, to bring a platform for all future candidates at all levels who are willing to stand by today and say it’s time for Pennsylvania and our nation to break the partisan gridlock and seek practical solutions to the most important issues of our time,” Settle asserted. He also warned of potential backlash from established parties, asserting that “if we’re successful, there will be attacks by the established parties because the status quo works for them, not for you.”
Christian Fyke, Chair of the Forward Party of Pennsylvania, said, “We have two candidates who have signed our pledge, promising to carry out their campaigns and elected duties with a focus on the will of the voters, and to act with the highest levels of ethics and integrity.”
Craig Snyder, political director of the Forward Party of Pennsylvania, said the party hopes to attract voters who are looking for “common ground solutions.” Depending on the percentage of the vote a candidate secures in the general election, the Forward Party could be a more permanent fixture on the ballot. “We think the time is exactly right. People are looking for this,” Snyder said. “There’s an exhausted majority in the United States politically, and we think we can help wake them up.”
“This independent branch of government should make informed and objective decisions that maximize return on investments, minimize risks, and safeguard taxpayer dollars, party and politics free,” he said.
Foster would make financial literacy a centerpiece of his work if he is elected. “Financial education is not just a luxury,” he said. “It’s a fundamental tool for empowerment and for economic stability.”
“Settle highlighted the party’s support for electoral reforms, including open primaries and ranked choice voting, and pointed to his experience in Ridge’s administration. He added that he views the role of attorney general as “so much broader than just being Pennsylvania’s chief prosecutor.”
“People are sick of the polarization, of the blame game, and of things falling apart,” said Yang, who is the Forward Party co-chair. “That’s why this is such an important opportunity for Pennsylvanian voters to say, ‘we get it. We want better for ourselves.'”
“This department, really of any department in government, should be run like a business,” said Foster. “We shouldn’t be confused about where our taxpayer dollars are allocated.”
[T]he Forward Party wants to empower leaders to find solutions that work in their communities, rather than dictate a rigid, top-down policy platform and expect it to work for all Americans.
The Forward Party advocates for the election of independent candidates to these offices to ensure that critical decisions remain untainted by partisan influence. And by supporting local candidates, it hopes to bring attention to the importance of down ballot races.
Forward’s CEO Lindsey Drath told The Center Square they are building a coalition of individuals committed to solving problems, prioritizing shared values and principles over party ideology.
“Our goal, above all is functionality and representation, not label,” she said.
She explained they are not engaging in the presidential race this year, preferring to build the infrastructure for the long haul, and running similar strategies in other states – which means navigating through the varied requirements for entry set by each.
“Our work in Pennsylvania is unique to the people and the needs of Pennsylvania,” she said. “And that’s a much more authentic and unique way of building a political party – from the ground up, as opposed to dictating something from the top down.”
Excited about how state parties are building, Drath said it is “the people that are driving them and the candidates that are running with them that are going to weave this wonderful fabric that is the new movement, and we’re really excited to see Pennsylvania coming into the same.”