Final Vote to take place at April 26 Convention, which will also include topics of interest to the broader public.
4/22/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Michelle Quist expected as the combined Party Chair
Pending a final vote of approval by party members on April 26th, The United Utah Party (UUP) and the Utah Forward Party (FWD) are announcing the officers who will serve as the combined party’s Executive Committee after the merger. Michelle Quist is expected to serve as Party Chair.
Quist is a litigation and appellate attorney at Buchalter and a single mother of seven. Prior to running for Utah Attorney General as the UUP candidate in 2024 she served as a Utah Bar Commissioner, a member of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, and as Secretary of the Utah Republican Party from 2013-2015.
“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve Utah,” said Chair candidate Michelle Quist. “The legacy two-party system has left behind the common sense majority of voters. That’s why building a truly viable alternate option is so critical to both Utah and the Nation at large.”
A Memorandum of Understanding signed and made public on April 2nd stipulates the conditions under which Quist is anticipated to be elected Chair. Review the full MOU here: bit.ly/FWD_UUP_MOU. The section below includes more detail on the candidates and voting agenda that is expected to take place.
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Convention Details
We welcome all Utahns broadly interested in election reform and the independent political space to attend the April 26th Convention at the SLCC Thayne Student Center, Redwood Campus.
The schedule of the convention includes activities of interest to the broader public. The details are as follows:
- 9:00am - Doors open for check-in
- 9:45-10:30am - Party business, including the votes on leadership and the MOU
- 10:30am-12:00pm - Post merger reconvening and celebration, Priorities voting, and speeches/Q&A by
- Senator Daniel Thatcher, SD 11 (Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah Counties)
- Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor of New Jersey and EPA Administrator under George W. Bush
- Michelle Quist
- David Hinckley
- 12:00-12:40pm - Lunch and socializing
- 12:40-1:30pm - Breakout sessions on Forward Priority issues:
- An update on the ongoing Independent Redistricting battle in Utah
- Great Salt Lake and environmental policy
- Political approaches to the housing affordability crisis
- A seminar on how to engage in civil dialogue and depolarization
For more information, visit utahforwardparty.org/2025_state_convention.
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Combined Executive Committee Process and Candidates
All officer position candidates listed below are running un-opposed.
Utah Forward Party:
Chair: Adam Teuscher
Vice Chair: David Hinckley
Secretary: Lynn Taylor
Treasurer: Phil Boileau
United Utah Party:
Chair: Michelle Quist
Vice Chair: Ladd Johnson
Secretary: Patricia Bradford
Treasurer: Orlando Williams
As provided in the MOU signed on April 2nd, the officers elected by each party will then select 3 officers each to reform into a newly combined 6-person Executive Committee. Since both parties’ officers’ slates are running unopposed, the officer candidates from each party have met and agreed that: (i) if they are approved by their respective parties; and (ii) if the merger is approved by the membership, the post-merger Executive Committee of the combined party will be as follows:
Chair: Michelle Quist
Vice Chair: David Hinckley
Secretary: Patricia Bradford
Treasurer: Lynn Taylor
Director of Press/Fundraising: Phil Boileau
Director of Outreach/Volunteer Coordination: Ladd Johnson
Adam Teuscher and Orlando Williams will maintain positions on the merged central committee.
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Senator Daniel Thatcher, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and Michelle Quist will be available for extended interviews before, during, and after the April 26th convention. To arrange an extended interview in advance, contact Phil Boileau at [email protected] or (801) 441-0031.
Additionally, the following individuals are immediately available for media comment:
- Presumptive FWD/UUP Chair Michelle Quist at [email protected] or (310) 909-6154
- Current UUP Chair Ladd Johnson at [email protected] or (801) 633-0184
- Current FWD Chair Adam Teuscher at [email protected] or (385) 352-3239
