10/22/2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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The Forward Party is built around a coalition of politically independent voters who believe that political power should flow from the bottom up, not from the top down. We intentionally avoid rigid policy platforms. We believe those policy decisions belong not to party leaders, but to local representatives in dialogue with their communities and the best available evidence.

From that same principle, we feel compelled to speak out against proposals that would diminish the voice of the people.

The Utah Constitution provides that the Legislative power of the State shall be vested in the Legislature AND the people of the State of Utah. Thus, in Utah, ballot initiatives serve as a structural check on the use of government power. Ballot initiatives define the people’s ability to take action when the legislators Utahns have elected refuse to do so. Constitutional Amendment B would undermine that authority by creating a double standard. While legislators can adjust tax rates and budget priorities with a simple majority, citizen proposed laws that address those same policies would be forced to clear a 60% supermajority.

In representative democracy, majority rule is a stabilizing force. The smaller the group empowered to block a proposal, the easier it is for narrow, well-funded interests to exert their influence to defeat broad consensus. Under Amendment B, special interests would only need to capture 40% of the electorate to overrule the will of the majority. This makes it harder for the public to advance meaningful changes in policy, while making it structurally easier for a small minority to block reform against the clear will of the public.
Utah’s Constitution is the backbone of our state government, and it should only be altered to address genuine failures in governance. Amendment B addresses no such structural failure; it is an attempt to take power away from citizens by weakening majority rule, diluting the voice of the voter, and insulating politicians from accountability.

The Forward Party was created because voters are tired of a political system that protects insiders at the expense of the public. The initiative power exists so that people can lead when partisan institutions refuse to. For these reasons, the Forward Party of Utah urges all Utahns—Republicans, Democrats, and political independents alike—to protect the voice of the people and vote NO on Amendment B.

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Michelle Quist,
Chair, Forward Party of Utah

The merger of the legacy Utah Forward Party (UFP) and United Utah Party (UUP) into the combined Forward Party of Utah (FWD) presented an unprecedented reporting situation. Existing state statutes, policies, and reporting procedures did not address how to combine the historical financial records of two parties merging into a single reporting entity midyear.

This complicated the party’s 2025 year-end disclosure filing. A report was submitted to the Utah Office of Disclosures but, as of October 2026, has not been published on the Utah Disclosures website.

The combined Forward Party of Utah’s full 2025 financial disclosures and accounting are available here:

2025 Report - Forward Party of Utah

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The following reporting records are available through the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office of Elections:

• Forward Party of Utah - Reporting for 2026 and beyond, currently listed under “Utah Forward Party.”**
• United Utah Party (legacy reporting for 2017-2024)
• Utah Forward Party (legacy reporting for 2024)

**Important correction for 2026: The “Balance at Beginning of Reporting Period” shown on the disclosures website is incorrect. The correct beginning balance for 2026 was $60,304.61, as documented in the 2025 report. We are working with the Office of Disclosures to correct the published balance.

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Please email party treasurer Lynn Taylor at [email protected] with additional questions.

Connect with the Utah Forward Party through these channels:

1. Join our Discord
2. Follow us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/fwdutah

https://www.facebook.com/ForwardUtah

Follow @FWDUtah

Forward Party: Senate District 11 Race Is Now a Referendum on Utah’s Political Future

08/31/2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MacKenzie Miller, the Democratic candidate for Utah Senate District 11, has withdrawn his candidacy from the 2026 general election. His withdrawal leaves a head-to-head race between incumbent Senator Emily Buss of the Forward Party and Republican challenger Brooks Benson.

Forward Party Statement

The Forward Party of Utah issued the following statement in response:

“Something remarkable is taking shape in Utah Senate District 11. With the Democratic candidate out of the race, voters will now have a choice between the Forward Party incumbent and her Republican challenger.

By re-electing Senator Emily Buss, voters have a chance to reject partisan politics-as-usual.

The two-party system is broken. The gridlock and hyperpartisanship of our two-party system actively rewards division, enforces strict loyalty, and locks out independent candidates. Something must change.

Only 9% of Americans say they have confidence in Congress as an institution, and 60% of Utah voters say they do not feel represented by either the Republican or Democratic party.

This system is incapable of fixing itself.

The Forward Party has a clear mission. We are building an organized, resourced, and effective coalition of independent candidates; Senator Buss is one of many. Our goal in Utah is not to replace one supermajority with another. It is to build a political system where no one party can ever hold a supermajority, ever again.

What happens next in Senate District 11 is more than a competition for a single seat. It’s a contest between the status quo and a new vision for how our political system might work.

This race is now a referendum.

In just her first year, Senator Buss has already begun to prove the Forward Party concept. Separated from the pressures of party politics, she was free to be herself, and she did just that. She showed us that a senator can put her constituents first, then work across the aisle on their behalf. Her voting record is a clear example of independence in practice.

Emily now stands in the center of something bigger than herself. She won’t be standing alone. We believe that the voters will see her as a welcome alternative to the two-party system.”

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Background on Senate District 11 and Senator Buss’s Appointment

In 2025, then-Senator Daniel Thatcher left the Republican Party and joined the Forward Party. After he later announced his resignation from the Utah Senate, the Forward Party took an unprecedented approach to selecting his replacement: every registered voter in Senate District 11 was invited to participate, regardless of party affiliation.

This stood in contrast to the traditional replacement process used by Utah’s major parties, in which a much smaller group of party delegates selects the replacement.

The partisan makeup of participating voters closely mirrored that of the district as a whole, and the process ultimately selected Sen. Buss to fill the vacancy.

More information about the process is available at 11chooses.com.

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Sources

• Gallup, Confidence in U.S. Institutions Remains Near All-Time Low, July 2026

• Deseret News, Cox reacts as 6 in 10 Utahns say parties don’t represent them, April 2026

• Senate District 11 replacement process and results: 11chooses.com

• Analysis of Sen. Emily Buss’s voting record, BYU political science professor Adam Brown, X post

• Raw data from the Senate District 11 vote results available upon request

Now, check your email.

We’ll send you a personalized onboarding form so we can learn more about how you’d like to help.
If you don’t complete it, one of our volunteers may follow up with soon by phone.

KUER | August 5, 2026 | Sean Higgins

KUER’s Sean Higgins recently took a look at the Forward Party of Utah’s prospects heading into the 2026 midterm elections, including Sen. Emily Buss’s reelection campaign and Forward’s focus on state legislative and county races. The story examines Forward’s appeal to Utah voters who feel poorly represented by the traditional parties and features conversations with Buss, Forward Utah Chair Michelle Quist, and Utah State University political scientist Damon Cann.

Link here: https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2026-08-05/utah-forward-party-says-its-ready-to-shoot-its-shot-in-the-26-midterms

EPA Repeals, AI Data Centers, and Utah’s Environmental Future

Connor Saumsiegle, May 4th, 2025 (998 words | 4 minutes)

“Whether the pollution comes from Utah or is foreign-borne, as citizens living in the valley and the Wasatch Front, we will have to grapple with the consequences.”

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On April 21, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to repeal the Biden administration’s decision to classify Utah’s air pollution as “serious.” Doing so would place Utah in the “moderate” category, allowing businesses to operate under less stringent regulations and putting the Utah Department of Environmental Quality under less pressure.

This is on the heels of Kevin O’Leary’s proposed AI data center in Box Elder County, which has been approved by the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), and is expected to be powered by a natural gas power plant that generates 9 gigawatts of energy. But that same power plant has the potential to increase carbon dioxide emissions by “more than 50%,” according to Kevin Perry, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah, who spoke to Utah News Dispatch.

The justification for this decision, according to the head of the EPA Lee Zeldin, is that the previous designation was “unduly burdensome” and “unfairly penalized Americans for pollution caused by other nations with weaker environmental standards.”

The other nations, in this case, primarily refers to China.

The proposal ultimately aims to repeal reporting obligations, compliance programs, and credit provisions for enterprises, outside of power plants and other stationary oil-and-gas facilities (i.e., gas stations or incinerators), that produce greenhouse gases, such as mining operations.

The “serious” status, ultimately, meant the Utah government had to be stricter regarding permitting and planning, which then required businesses to invest more in emission-reducing measures.

A final decision will be made after the 30-day comment period is over.

Although the Utah Department of Environmental Quality has assured Utahns that they will continue to work towards lowering emissions, with Tim Davis citing the fact that emissions were lowered the previous year, I can’t help but be concerned.

Whether the pollution comes from Utah or is foreign-borne, as citizens living in the valley and the Wasatch Front, we will have to grapple with the consequences. The particulates in the air (the most common being PM2.5) and the ozone are non-discriminatory. It will affect our lungs, and our children, regardless of where it’s from.

That’s not to say that I don’t understand where Sen. Curtis and Tim Davis are coming from. They are understandably frustrated, as likely other state legislators are too, for being held accountable for factors they have no control over. According to Curtis, Utah has been unfairly “penalized” for “too long.”

But the EPA designation as “serious” draws attention to the problem, if eyes aren’t already there, and, potentially even more importantly, puts pressure on businesses and industries to perform in a more environmentally friendly way that Utah needs right now.

With the Salt Lake drying up, creating the potential to introduce a host of new issues, and the increased chance of wildfires this year due to the reduced snowpack, we need to do everything that we can to make sure we are fighting for the natural beauty of the state we live in and our health.

The growing concern surrounding the Box Elder County AI data center should also be taken into account. If the estimates that it would raise CO2 emissions by more than 50% turn out to be correct, it has the possibility to exacerbate pollution issues the state already faces. Even if these effects aren’t felt locally, they contribute to a wider problem the United States faces regarding climate change.

Further, with the drought that challenges Utah, diverting water to more AI data centers might force citizens to bear the burden of poor regulation. Especially when Governor Cox urges speed, saying: “...We think that taking time makes things better or safer, it absolutely does not.”

Implementing the data center may well be a good idea by promoting Utah’s importance in the growing technological arms race. But, unlike Governor Cox, I think being methodical, and thereby making things slow, does improve outlooks. It allows us to understand the effects of implementation before it is too late, and create beneficial regulations accordingly.

In that same vein, we need to put pressure on businesses and our local government to push for legislation that will promote improving our air and preserving our environment; not harming it.

If the EPA repeal goes through, time will tell how private enterprises will react to the “moderate” designation. But it is my fear that, with reduced oversight and more lenient compliance programs, companies will take advantage of that to cut costs by increasing pollution. There is also the question of whether this repeal is, at least in part, being forwarded to allow for Kevin O’Leary’s natural gas power plant to be built.

And although some industry groups, such as the Utah Mining Association and the Utah Petroleum Association, have said in the past that placing tighter regulations on them, and thereby reducing emissions, will have a negative impact on Utah’s economy, I think that is a path we should consider taking.

When you consider the harmful effects ozone has, such as burning the lungs and increasing the rate of stillbirths, a healthy environment will be better for all of us, especially our children and the elderly, in the long run.

And with the potential for the Great Salt Lake to dry up, coupled with the current drought, we should do what we can to be aware of the environmental impacts of our decisions before implementing them. Even if that means greater regulation for businesses.

And, health aside, having a winter that is devoid of the gray smog that permeates the valley will make Salt Lake City a lot nicer to look. Especially during the cold, wintry months that tend to attract tourists.

While it might be easy to see the EPA designation as a “penalty” or bad for business and innovation, I think we should view it as a challenge, instead. A challenge to work together, hold our legislators and representatives accountable, and to create safe, smart, and innovative solutions for businesses that ensure Utah continues to be a beautiful place to live.

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Connor Saumsiegle is a resident of Herriman, Utah, and a member of the Forward Party.

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On Immigration

Forward Utah asked its online and email community to weigh in on several questions related to immigration. Responses were collected using a five-point agreement scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.”

We asked seven questions:

1. The government has an obligation to control the flow of immigration, and has the right to expel people who have come here illegally.
2. Illegal immigration creates negative economic stress by increasing competition for jobs and resources.
3. On the whole, undocumented immigrants contribute positively to the U.S. economy.
4. Under President Biden, it was too easy to enter the United States outside of traditional channels; this led to a humanitarian crisis at our Southern border.
5. Under President Trump, our immigration enforcement agencies are operating in a way that’s unnecessarily harsh and inhumane.
6. People who have lived and worked in the United States for many years without committing crimes should be provided a pathway to legal status before being forcibly deported.
7. The two major political parties have equally politicized immigration in ways that prevent meaningful solutions.

107 audience members responded between March 13, 2026 and March 30, 2026. Email us to request the raw result data.

Forward Party of Utah Announces Andrew Yang Appearance, CD1 “No Candidate” Outcome, and Open Convention Voting

04/03/2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Ahead of the Forward Party of Utah’s Annual State Convention, the party is making three announcements:

• Former presidential candidate and national Forward Party cofounder Andrew Yang will attend and meet with supporters and members of the media.
• In the party’s recently concluded county nominating conventions, the “No Candidate at this Time” option prevailed in two races, meaning no Forward candidate will proceed to the General Election in those contests, including Congressional District 1.
• A change to the Party’s Constitution now allows unaffiliated voters who wish to participate to vote fully in candidate nominations and party priority voting, reinforcing the Forward Party’s goal of becoming Utah’s political home for independents.

The Forward Party of Utah State Convention begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Salt Lake Community College Student Center, 4600 S Redwood Rd, Taylorsville. Advanced RSVP is required for those who wish to vote. Visit utahforwardparty.org/convention to begin the pre-registration process.

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Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang rose to national prominence during his 2020 presidential campaign and is now a founding co-chair of the national Forward Party. He has authored several books, including The War on Normal People (2018), Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy (2021), and Hey Yang, Where's My Thousand Bucks? (2026).

Mr. Yang’s early warnings during his 2020 campaign about the role AI will play in shaping the economy, along with his advocacy for universal basic income as one possible response, have returned in force to the national dialogue and are likely to be among the topics addressed in his remarks.

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County Nominations and the “No Candidate at this Time” Option

A series of county nominating conventions were held in late March. The full results can be found at https://www.utahforwardparty.org/2026_county_results.

 In Utah’s Congressional District 1, the “No Candidate at this Time” option prevailed. As a result, no Forward candidate was nominated to proceed to November’s General Election.

The Forward Party includes “No Candidate at this Time” on convention ballots so voters can decline to nominate when they conclude that is the best course in a given race. Critics often accuse alternative parties of “acting as spoilers,” and this option gives voters a direct say in that question.

Michelle Quist, Chair of the Forward Party of Utah, made the following statement:

“Our process gives voters a real choice, including the choice not to nominate anyone. That matters, both for the quality of the candidates voters will consider in November and for the credibility of any grassroots third-party movement. In Congressional District 1, the voters, not party bosses, made the decision. We respect everyone who stepped forward, and we stand by the result.”

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Unaffiliated Voter Participation

The party also recently adopted amendments and resolutions expanding participation in its conventions to unaffiliated voters. Under the new rules, any unaffiliated Utah voter who wishes to participate may now vote in Forward convention proceedings.

Because the Forward Party does not use a traditional delegate system, all party members and participating unaffiliated voters will have the opportunity to vote on Party Priorities and, in the districts where they reside, take part in nominating candidates.

The party uses a primarily digital voting process designed to make participation fast, easy, secure, and low-cost. Qualifying voters who complete pre-registration and verification online will receive their ballots by email, and a livestream of the event will be available on the party’s YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.

Phil Boileau, spokesman for the Forward Party of Utah, offered the following statement:

“We’ll continue to model more representative voting systems. They’re easy to administer, inexpensive, and they produce better outcomes. When participation expands beyond the most hyper-partisan and hyper-engaged among us, the result is a process that better reflects Utah as it actually is. If you want a voice, you should have a voice. And if you’re unaffiliated, we think that’s a great thing. Forward is building a process that rewards independent thinking. Come caucus with us.”

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The Forward Party of Utah has completed its 2026 county and state nominating conventions. Below are the reported results from each convention.

Voting

Forward Party convention voters are given the option to vote for a candidate or select “No Candidate at this Time.”

If “No Candidate at this Time” receives the required support over the candidate seeking the nomination, the Forward Party does not nominate a candidate in that race for the General Election.

This process gives voters—not party leadership—the final say over whether a candidate should represent the Forward Party on the ballot.

Expanded Participation in 2026

Beginning with the 2026 conventions, unaffiliated Utah voters are permitted to participate as full voting delegates in Forward Party conventions alongside registered Forward Party members.

Participation is open to eligible voters residing within the jurisdiction of the race being decided.

Reported Convention Results

Utah County Convention — March 21, 2026

The following candidates were approved by delegate vote and will be moving forward to the general election:

• House District 53 — John Boyd
• House District 63 — Julie Smith
• Senate District 21 — Wayne Woodfield
• Utah County Clerk — Russ Rampton
• Utah County Commissioner — David Hinckley

Davis County Convention — March 24, 2026

The following candidates were approved by delegate vote and will be moving forward to the general election:

• Senate District 06 — Josh Smith
• House District 13 — Tony De Mille

Cache County Convention — March 26, 2026

In House District 03, delegates selected “No Candidate at this Time” over candidate Ben Shaw.

As a result, the Forward Party will not nominate a candidate for House District 03 in the 2026 General Election.

Salt Lake County Convention — March 28, 2026

The following candidates were approved by delegate vote and will be moving forward to the general election:

• Senate District 09 — Lowry Snow
• Senate District 13 — Colin Smith
• House District 26 — Travis Alico
• House District 27 — Jeff Marshall
• House District 40 — John Jackson
• Salt Lake County Council At-Large District A — Maleah Bliss

In Federal Congressional District 01, delegates selected “No Candidate at this Time” over candidate January Walker.

As a result, the Forward Party will not nominate a candidate for Congressional District 01 in the 2026 General Election.

Weber County Convention — March 28, 2026

The following candidate was approved by delegate vote and will be moving forward to the general election:

• Weber County Commissioner — Gary New

State Convention — April 11, 2026

The following candidates were approved by delegate vote and will be moving forward to the general election:

• Senate District 01 — Julie Quinlan
• Senate District 11 — Senator Emily Buss
• Senate District 20 — Annette McRae
• House District 06 — James Rich
• House District 08 — Libby Shelton
• House District 23 — Cabot Nelson
• House District 28 — Wales Nematollahi
• House District 29 — Tynley Bean
• House District 70 — Zeno Perry

Final vote tallies can be requested by emailing [email protected].

Priorities

In addition to nominating candidates, convention participants voted on the Forward Party of Utah’s Party Priorities for the coming election cycle.

These priorities help identify the issues Forward voters want candidates and party leaders to emphasize while preserving candidates’ independence to develop their own positions and policy solutions.

Learn more about the Forward Party of Utah’s priorities at utahforwardparty.org/priorities.

Moving Forward

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2026 county and state conventions, whether in person or remotely.

Forward’s convention process is designed to give ordinary Utah voters a meaningful role in deciding who represents the party and what issues deserve its attention.

We look forward to supporting our 2026 nominees as they move forward to the General Election.

On Redistricting and Election Reform

Forward Utah asked its online and email community to weigh in on several questions related to Utah’s ongoing redistricting debate. Responses were collected using a five-point agreement scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” The results reveal overwhelming support for independent redistricting and broad skepticism toward the legislature’s constitutional claims.

We asked four questions:

1. An independent redistricting commission is a good approach for drawing Utah’s congressional maps.
2. The Utah State Legislature is making a compelling constitutional argument by saying it should retain primary authority over drawing congressional maps.
3. The current, court-imposed “donut district” map is likely to lead to better political outcomes for Utah.
4. Beyond redistricting, Utah would benefit from a broader set of election reforms.

184 members of the Forward Utah audience responded between February 26, 2026 and March 11, 2026. Email us to request the raw result data.

Our Approach to Legislation

We believe it is the responsibility of individual candidates — not the party — to articulate their positions on specific legislation.

Utah Forward does not publish a traditional policy platform. Instead, we organize around:

• Values — broad principles like grace, tolerance, and respect.
• Priorities — the key areas of governance our members believe deserve focused attention.
• Electing Thoughtful Leaders — and encouraging independent thinking.

Taking a Position

Utah Forward will only rarely issue a public statement on a specific bill.

This may occur when:

• A piece of legislation directly contradicts our values or universally accepted positions in areas such as election reform; or
• A bill is sponsored by a sitting member of our party and directly relates to one of our adopted priorities.

Outside of these circumstances, we believe our members should find their own positions on legislation.

Suggested Legislative Trackers (2026)

The Utah General Session moves quickly. Tracking legislation in real time can be challenging — especially if it isn’t your full-time job.

Instead of publishing our own scorecard, we encourage you to follow established advocacy organizations that track legislation and provide bill summaries, analysis, and session updates. Being listed here does not mean the Forward Party necessarily agrees with their conclusions or positions.

The following organizations track, analyze, and report on Utah legislation:

• Better Utah Institute
• League of Women Voters of Utah
• Utah State Bar
• Elevate Utah
• Utah Education Association (UEA)

Engagement Tools

A lot of groups are doing excellent work on this subject. Here are some of them.

Utah State Legislative Bill Tracker

The Utah Legislature makes the status and progress of all bills publicly available. By creating an account, you can track the bills that matter most to you, including when and where they will be heard in committee. Every Utah citizen has the right to give public comment — either in person or online via Zoom.

https://le.utah.gov/tracking/trackingLogin

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Digital Democracy Project (DDP)

Digital Democracy Project lets voters weigh in on active legislation — bill by bill — at both the Utah State and Federal levels through a website or app. Its goal is to strengthen communication between voters and policymakers. Forward Utah has partnered with DDP and will select a limited number of bills related to our priorities each session, giving our members and supporters an easy way to share their feedback.

https://digitaldemocracyproject.org/

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Canonizer

Canonizer is a structured discussion platform designed to build consensus around complex issues. Participants can compare viewpoints, organize perspectives, and identify areas of common ground. Create an account to join the conversation -- no topic is too divisive for pursuit of common ground.

https://canonizer.com/

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BillTrack50

For individuals or organizations interested in creating their own public-facing legislative tracker, we recommend BillTrack50 for its design and functionality.

https://billtrack50.com/