Utah State Sen. Daniel Thatcher Leaves GOP For Yang’s Forward Party

Utah State Sen. Daniel Thatcher on Friday announced he has left the Republican Party to join the Forward Party founded by businessman and former political candidate Andrew Yang.

The decision, announced on the final day of the legislative session, makes Thatcher the Forward Party’s first elected member of the Utah State Senate, and marks a shift in state’s political landscape as he calls for more representative governance and greater voter participation.

In a speech announcing the move, Thatcher expressed his disappointment in Utah’s GOP leadership and their efforts to curtail Utahns rights, citing the recent passage of HB 300 making the vote-by-mail process more onerous, and the legislative battle over Amendment D, which would have eliminated the public right to bring ballot initiatives.

Thatcher, who has served Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah Counties in Senate District 11 since 2011, said the Forward Party’s principals resonated with him, and encouraged others who feel the same to switch their affiliations as well.

Yang, Forward Party Founding Co-Chair, ran as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 and ran for New York City mayor in 2021. The party, founded in 2021, states its values of respect for the rule of law and the Constitution; restoring power to the voters; driving on effective solutions; and individual liberty, personal responsibility, and civic engagement resonated with the Senator as he made his decision to switch his affiliation.

“Today more than ever, our elected officials are followers. It takes courage to step forward and truly lead. Sen. Thatcher continues to demonstrate his morals through the leadership hes showing today, and we couldnt be more proud that hes joining Forward,” Yang said.

“I was in Utah several years ago as our state leadership team delivered their petitions to the state house to become a recognized party, and Im here in spirit today as Senator Thatcher joins the Party,” said Kerry Healey, Forwards Executive Chair who served as Mitt Romneys Lieutenant Governor in Massachusetts.

“We are excited for such a principled leader to join our ranks,” Healey said. “Sen. Thatchers focus on serving his constituents in a transparent and accountable manner embodies Forwards approach to governance. We expect our elected officials to stand up for what is right, what they believe, and what their constituents want, and we will support Senator Thatcher as he continues to do so. And we welcome any other leaders to join Senator Thatcher who want to be a part of a Party that wont require them to compromise their morals to toe the party line.”