State lawmaker leaves GOP for Forward Party on last day of session
Utah Sen. Dan Thatcher announced he was leaving the Republican Party on Friday, the last day of the legislative session, becoming the first state lawmaker to join the Forward Party.
The former Republican from West Valley City has often voted against his party since entering office in 2011, particularly on issues related to individuals who identify as LGBTQ. This week he bucked his party on multiple votes concerning criminal enhancements and K-12 curriculum.
Thatcher told reporters gathered at the state Capitol that he has grown more alienated from his party in recent years as he believes the GOP has become more alienated from the average Utahn.
'There is a growing disconnect between the public that we're supposed to represent and your representatives,' Thatcher said.
Thatcher said the core reason for this divide is how candidates are selected. The Forward Party is a third-party organization with a platform that focuses on election processes like ranked choice voting that the party claims decrease partisanship and promote problem solving.
Thatcher's announcement came shortly after he engaged in a standoff on the Senate floor with Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, who refused to recognize Thatcher for comment after Thatcher called out a fellow lawmaker by name.
During Senate media availability on Friday, Adams wished Thatcher well and Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, said this is a decision Thatcher had been considering for a while.
'I think it's healthy. We have different ideas,' Adams said.
There is some precedent for Utah Republican senators flipping parties. In 2016, former state Sen. Mark Madsen joined the Libertarian Party.
Adams and Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, both said their parties will not caucus with Thatcher, meaning they will not include him in private policy meetings.
In a statement issued by the Forward Party, the party's founding co-chair, Andrew Yang, a former Democratic candidate for U.S. president and New York City mayor, said that American politics needs more independent thinkers.
'It takes courage to step forward and truly lead,' Yang said. 'Sen. Thatcher continues to demonstrate his morals through the leadership he's showing today, and we couldn't be more proud that he's joining Forward.'
The Forward Party has been active in recent Utah elections, endorsing Michelle Quist for Utah Attorney General in 2024. However, the party has not had a member in the state Legislature until now.
On Friday, Thatcher expressed disappointment for bills passed this session by his colleagues that would add security measures for vote by mail and that would amend the citizen ballot initiative process.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
American Military News
18 minutes ago
- American Military News
New bill introduced on D-Day anniversary would ‘strengthen' US, UK partnership
A new bill introduced by a Republican congressman on the 81st anniversary of D-Day would allow the United States to share military technology with the United Kingdom. On Friday, Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) announced in a press release that he had reintroduced the Special Relationship Military Improvement Act of 2025 to strengthen the country's relationship with the United Kingdom on the 81st anniversary of D-Day. 'Our nation can never forget the sacrifice of thousands of Allied soldiers who lost their lives on D-Day and the invasion of Normandy. The price they paid ensured that millions could live free from tyranny,' Green said. 'And the best way to commemorate this momentous day is to strengthen our partnership with the United Kingdom—and that's exactly what this bill does.' In Friday's press release, the Republican congressman explained that advancements in military technology currently become the 'exclusive property' of the United States when sold to the federal government under the rules established by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Green said that while Canada is provided exemptions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the United Kingdom is not provided exemptions. READ MORE: D-Day hero receiving medals for saving 200 lives If the Special Relationship Military Improvement Act of 2025 was passed, it would implement a change to the Arms Export Control Act to allow military technology to be shared between the United States and the United Kingdom. In Friday's press release, Green said advancements in U.S. military technology 'should be available to our allies' and that sharing military technology with allies was 'common sense.' Green explained, 'The U.S. and the U.K. work together in almost every aspect to share intelligence, fight terrorism around the globe, and ensure that, through our combined military strength, the world can enjoy unprecedented peace.' In a statement to Fox News on Friday, Green said, 'On the beaches of Normandy, it was British soldiers who ran in the sand alongside Americans.' He added, 'When we were attacked on 9/11, it was the United Kingdom that sent soldiers into Afghanistan to help us destroy al-Qaeda and the Taliban that gave them safe haven.' Green emphasized that the United States will 'never forget' the friendship it shares with the United Kingdom. The Republican congressman added that sharing military technology is 'crucial' in the face of increasing threats across the globe.
Fox News
19 minutes ago
- Fox News
Behind the scenes of Trump's 'iconic' McDonald's visit before election victory
Fox Nation is offering a rare glimpse into Donald Trump's pivotal McDonald's visit during the final weeks of his 2024 campaign with a multi-episode installment of "The Art of the Surge." It all starts at a McDonald's drive-thru, where the then-GOP nominee traded a suit for an apron and got to work as a fry cook in Feasterville, Pennsylvania last October. "I've always wanted to work at McDonald's, and I never did," he told workers inside the building. The first episode of the series documents Trump's "first day" on the job from the very beginning, as he requested to work the french fry cooker and learned the process. He walked through, step-by-step, dunking fries into hot oil, shaking the basket, pouring servings into the signature red McDonald's cartons and sprinkling salt over them. It became an iconic moment on the campaign trail as the notorious New York City business magnate-turned-president performed a job many Americans have had at one point in their lives. He even greeted customers wrapped around the building at the drive-thru window. As one family took a Happy Meal from his hands he quipped with a smile, "It's going to be the best you've ever had. It had better be. I made it myself." Customers passed on their messages of encouragement as the high-stakes faceoff with then-vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was merely two weeks away, with both teams in a mad sprint to the finish line. "Make America great again!" one driver said. Another, shaking hands with Trump, said, "45-47, you've got this, sir." Trump paused, on occasion, to wave at the mass of fans cheering and holding "Trump-Vance" signs nearby. He told WTXF reporter JoAnn Pileggi that the crowd was smiling and upbeat because they wanted hope. Turning back inside the building, he faced the camera at one point and smiled as he noted how much fun he was having. "I could do this all day. I wouldn't mind this job," he said. Trump's efforts were viewed by many as a mockery of a claim his opponent had worked for the fast food chain while in college. At one point, Trump even remarked, "I've now worked for 15 minutes. Fifteen more than Kamala." As his team departed on his personal plane, Trump's deputy director of communications Margo Martin enthused about the day. "That was epic," she said. "Donald Trump working the McDonald's drive-thru – iconic." Trump would go on to defeat Harris in the 2024 election, sweeping all campaign swing states, including Pennsylvania. "The Art of the Surge" follows that journey to the finish line even after the McDonald's stop-in, showing last-minute efforts like podcast visits and his massive Madison Square Garden rally, while also featuring Trump allies like Alina Habba, Tulsi Gabbard, Hulk Hogan and more. To watch the series, subscribe to Fox Nation and begin streaming "The Art of the Surge" today. Fox Nation programs are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Go to Fox Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite Fox Nation personalities.
Newsweek
20 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Stop Posting, and Start Legislating—A Message to the GOP from Gen Z
We remember. We remember the Paul Ryan years. We remember the lofty promises, the press conferences with tax cut charts, the selfies with Trump in the Roosevelt Room. And we remember the disappointment—because when Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and White House, barely anything bold got done. The border wasn't secured. Obamacare wasn't repealed. The swamp wasn't drained. The only thing that moved quickly was the clock—and opportunity slipped away. The bills stalled. The hearings dragged. The excuses piled up. And in the end, the status quo won. Again. A Make America Great Again (MAGA) baseball hat supporting President Donald Trump is pictured. A Make America Great Again (MAGA) baseball hat supporting President Donald Trump is here we are again. President Donald Trump is back in the Oval Office. Conservatives have momentum. The political stars are aligned like they haven't been in years. And yet? The same old D.C. inertia is setting in. Congress is snoozing through a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver real change. There's no sense of urgency. No fire. No strategy. Just more performative politics as usual. The difference is: this time, we're paying attention. Gen Z conservatives didn't get off the couch and show up to the ballot box to watch history repeat itself. We're tired of politicians who post more than they produce. House and Senate Republicans—stop acting like influencers and start acting like lawmakers. You don't get to post selfies with Elon Musk or tweet your appreciation to DOGE if you won't even codify basic spending cuts like the DOGE Act. You can't coast on vibes while the country's on fire. You were sent to legislate, not livestream. You weren't elected to trend on X—you were elected to fix what's broken. Brilyn Hollyhand and President Donald Trump are pictured at the University of Alabama on May 1, 2025. Brilyn Hollyhand and President Donald Trump are pictured at the University of Alabama on May 1, 2025. Photo Courtesy of the White House Despite facing one of the most pivotal moments in modern political history, Congress still isn't working full weeks. Many lawmakers fly in Tuesday afternoon and are wheels-up by Thursday. Three-day workweeks in the middle of a national crisis? That's not leadership—that's laziness. Meanwhile, families across America are grinding five, six, even seven days a week just to stay afloat. Blue-collar workers don't get to call it a week by Wednesday night. Neither should the people writing our laws. If our representatives can't even put in a full week's work during a make-or-break presidency, maybe they don't deserve the job. I will never forget my first ever dinner with a U.S. senator. It was my 12th birthday, and we were in D.C., eating downtown after I had recorded some episodes of my podcast on Capitol Hill. He leaned across the table to me and said, "Brilyn, the first thing you're going to learn in this business is that in politics there are work horses and show horses. The work horses bring home the pork for the state that sent them there. The show horses run to the TV cameras. Be a work horse, and only join a cable show when you have an accomplishment to tout." That stuck with me—and I'm reminded of it right now more than ever. Because D.C. is overflowing with show horses. They gallop into every hearing, prance onto every panel, and leave before the hard work begins. This isn't just about optics. This is about outcomes. Republicans were given a second chance to do what they promised the first time. It's not enough to give speeches about the border. Close it. It's not enough to post videos in front of the IRS. Defund it. It's not enough to warn about weaponized government. Dismantle it. This is the moment to act, not admire the problem. Stop playacting reform—deliver it. The base isn't looking for another firebrand quote; we're looking for a signed bill. We're not asking for the moon—we're demanding that you work. Get off the couch. Get off cable news. And get legislation on the president's desk. Defund the weaponized bureaucracy. Close the border. Cut the waste. Stop acting like your job is to coast to retirement and start acting like your job is to represent us. If you need inspiration, look outside the Beltway—real Americans are hustling every day without fanfare. Why can't Congress? Gen Z is watching. And we have receipts. We're the most online, most informed, and most fed-up generation to ever engage in politics. We can see through the talking points. We recognize when someone's all flash and no follow-through. And we're not afraid to call it out—publicly, loudly, and often. You can't gaslight us with headlines. You can't distract us with Instagram posts. We see the floor schedule. We track the votes. We know the difference between working and pretending. If the GOP wastes another Trump term, it won't just be a policy failure—it'll be a generational betrayal. My generation won't forget. We didn't come this far just to watch you do nothing, again. We showed up because we believe in a different future—one that isn't dictated by lobbyists, legacy institutions, and leadership that loves the camera more than the country. Clock in, Congress. Or clock out—and make room for someone who will. Brilyn Hollyhand is an 18-year-old political commentator, chairman of the Republican National Committee's Youth Advisory Council, and bestselling author of One Generation Away: Why Now is the Time to Restore American Freedom. For more of his hot takes you can follow him on socials @BrilynHollyhand or visit The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
