Utah's third party political parties announces plans to merge
SALT LAKE CITY () — Utah's third-party political parties – the United Utah Party and Utah Forward Party – to merge into a single party.
The two groups would form to become either the 'Utah Forward Party' or the 'United Forward Party,' depending on what is approved by the , to which the Utah Forward Party is affiliated.
Both third-party groups said they share common values, including strengthening democracy, improving government efficiency, responsiveness and ethics, and helping the moderate majority become politically organized.
'[Utah United Party has] worked tirelessly to give voters a quality third option,' said Adam Teuscher, the chair of the Utah Forward Party. 'They believe that electeds should put the interests of their constituents over those of party bosses. Forward stands for the same, but we do so as part of a 50-state movement. UUP blazed the path and through this merger, we hope to widen it.'
Judge over gerrymandering case against Utah legislature asks for clarification over tossing maps
The merger has reportedly been months in the works but recently gained momentum after Utah Sen. Daniel Thatcher (UFP-Tooele) in favor of the Utah Forward Party.
The two groups won't officially merge until it has been approved by party members of both parties. The United Utah Party and the Utah Forward Party will hold separate votes on the proposed merger on Saturday, April 26.
If approved, the two parties will create an interim Executive Committee appointed by existing party leadership to oversee the process of combining separate parties within the bounds of Utah State Law.
'The United Utah Party's long-term vision has always been to start locally and build up a grass-roots political movement in Utah before eventually joining together with similar movements from other states,' said Ladd Johnson, chair of the United Utah Party. 'The proposed merger with the Forward Party is an important and exciting step furthering that vision. We will bring the experience, excellent platform and approach, and dedicated leaders and members of the UUP and combine with the talent, energy, and national presence of the Forward Party.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
United Utah, Forward Party merge after first-of-its kind vote. Up next? A new name
Supporters of the Forward Party mingle at a joint convention between the United Utah and Utah Forward parties, where members of both parties voted to merge into one. The convention took place at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville on April 26, 2025. (Courtesy of Alora Casper, Executive Director of United Utah Party) Two of Utah's centrist parties have officially joined forces in hopes of growing a movement to break away from a two-party, 'us-versus-them' system. The United Utah Party and the Utah Forward Party held an unprecedented combined convention on Saturday at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville, where both parties voted nearly unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding to formally merge under the umbrella of the national Forward Party. An 'unprecedented' merger of 2 centrist parties: United Utah Party looks to join Forward Party It's the first time two political parties have ever joined together in the state of Utah. Party officials said they're coordinating with the state's top election officials in the lieutenant governor's office to facilitate the merger, for which no legal process exists in state law. Still, the parties are charting their own path for the merger, for which the now-approved memorandum of understanding lays out a process that will take place over the next several months. The new party's name, the MOU stipulates, 'shall be the 'Utah Forward Party,' the 'United Forward Party' or such other name selected and approved by the National Forward Party.' On Saturday, both parties voted independently to approve the merger before combining in a joint session, where leaders gave speeches applauding the merger as a momentum-building move for Utah's moderate and centrist movement. Speakers included newly-elected Chair Michelle Quist — who last year ran as United Utah's candidate for attorney general — and Sen. Dan Thatcher, a former Republican from West Valley, who recently announced he'd left the GOP to join the Utah Forward Party. 'There are real problems that Utahns are facing, but our leaders aren't listening because they're too busy trying to win their partisan blood sport,' Quist said. 'The two-party system has not served us well. … We cannot see beyond the us-versus-them mentality. So it's time to move beyond that psyche and look to do what's best for Utahns.' Former New Jersey governor and EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman — who co-founded and co-chairs the national Forward Party alongside businessman and onetime presidential candidate Andrew Yang — also spoke Saturday, encouraging Utahns to break the stranglehold of the two-party system, which she said is more focused on winning than representing Americans. 'I honestly believe that we are within a hair of losing our democracy,' Whitman said. 'There is, to me, an unconscionable lack of respect for the rule of law, the lack of respect for the Constitution. … It's not about solving problems, it's about staying in power.' She pointed to states like Utah, where most districts are largely controlled by 'one party,' the GOP, resulting in elections where 'voters don't have a choice. There's one candidate, and that's it. And that has never served the public.' 'When all an incumbent has to do is worry about their base in the primaries, they don't care about the rest of the people. To heck with it, and they don't represent the rest of the people when they get in,' Whitman said. Utah senator announces he's leaving the Republican party, joining Utah Forward Party Yang also issued a prepared statement in a news release issued by party leaders, pointing to Gallup polling that shows roughly 60% of Americans agree that the U.S. needs a third major party because the Republican and Democratic parties 'do such a poor job' of representing Americans. 'It's no wonder why,' Yang said. 'The existing parties have failed to address the biggest issues facing voters. People want job security and to plan for their retirement; they want their kids to be safe, they want to live in a nation of laws that protect them, they don't want to be told they need to hate their neighbors if they disagree with them on some policy position. They want their representatives to pay attention to their lives and listen to their needs.' Instead, Yang said, 'the legacy parties are focused on maintaining power and the 'us versus them' fight that keeps their fundraising totals high.' Yang said Utah is at the 'forefront' of the Forward Party's effort to build a '50-state movement.' So far, the Forward Party or an affiliate party is recognized in 13 states, Whitman said, compared to just five states two months ago. Plus, she said the party has 50 elected officeholders who have affiliated in some way with the Forward Party. Their goal, she said, is to be 'on the ballot in all states' by the next presidential election, in 2028. 'We are growing,' she said. 'We're growing fast. We're growing big.' Thatcher, when he took the podium, told the crowd of roughly 250 that came to Saturday's convention that, 'you're not crazy.' 'You're not imagining it. Things are really, really bad right now,' said the former Republican senator — who in recent years became no stranger to bucking the GOP party line before he unaffiliated last month. 'The absolute contempt coming from the (Utah) Legislature this year just completely blew my mind.' Thatcher said for years he had been 'concerned about the direction' the Republican party was heading, 'but I always believed that the GOP would come back to its founding principles.' However, when lawmakers tried to amend the Utah Constitution to weaken voters' ballot initiative powers and give the Legislature the ultimate and final say on all types of ballot initiatives with Amendment D — a ballot question the courts ultimately voided because its language written by GOP legislative leaders was misleading — Thatcher said that 'completely made it clear that it's not going to happen.' 'Because I believe the GOP has ceased to uphold the rule of law, because they are no longer grounded to the Constitution, and because they're not even following their own platform, which was why I joined them in the first place, they are no longer entitled to my support,' Thatcher said. Instead, he said the Forward Party better 'respects my principles of rights, of reason, and of respect.' 'The Forward Party is different from anything I've ever seen before,' Thatcher said. 'It is why I feel so at home in this place that feels clean. I feel safe in this room. I feel respected in this room. I feel like I can disagree with someone and not have any name-calling or our tables flipping.' More than anything, Thatcher said he joined the Forward Party because he wants 'to fight for people, for decency, for representation.' 'It is so freeing to stop saying 'we' as I talk about the completely crazy things that the (Republican) party is doing to people,' he said. 'But moreover, it feels so good to say 'we' as I talk about the crazy things the Forward Party is doing for people. Below is the MOU approved by both parties on Saturday: MOU - UUP Fwd Merger (Final) (1) signed
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Utah's newest political party has a new chair
Utah's newest political party announced its first leader on Tuesday. Former Utah attorney general candidate Michelle Quist will chair the newly merged United Utah/Forward Party upon final approval from party members at their convention on Saturday. 'I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve Utah,' Quist said in a press release. '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.' Quist ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2024 as the nominee for the United Utah Party and was also endorsed by the Forward Party. She secured just over 7% of the vote in the general election. Quist works as an attorney at Buchalter in Salt Lake City. Prior to pursuing elected office, Quist served as a Utah State Bar commissioner and as secretary of the Utah Republican Party from 2013-2015. As a candidate, Quist drew a contrast with the Republican Party under President Donald Trump, which she said had alienated many women and moderate voters. She also strays from the GOP platform in opposing abortion restrictions. The United Utah Party, which operates only in Utah, emerged in 2017 out of frustration with the state's Republican supermajority for allegedly moving to the right and for limiting access for candidates to get on the ballot. The party's platform 'is not ideological,' and does not include firm stances on most issues, but instead outlines principles of transparency, free market solutions and increasing voter access. Similarly, the Forward Party, formed in 2021 by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, is not based on rigid policy goals. Instead, the organization focuses on election processes like ranked choice voting that the party says decreases partisanship and promotes problem solving. Last month, Utah Sen. Dan Thatcher became the first state lawmaker to leave the Republican Party to join the Forward Party, citing what he saw as a growing divide between what regular Utahns want and what elected representatives were doing in a polarized political environment. In response to Thatcher's announcement, which came on the final day of the 2025 legislative session, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said he supported Thatcher's decision. 'I think it's healthy. We have different ideas,' Adams said. Neither the United Utah Party or the Forward Party appears to have ever nominated a candidate that has gone on to win a general election in Utah. The governing body of the merged United Utah Party-Forward Party will include members who previously served on the respective parties' executive committees.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Vineyard residents allege city violated state law in complaint against $35M bond, city calls claim ‘unfounded'
VINEYARD, Utah () — The sponsors behind a referendum against a proposed $35 million city bond to help finance a new Vineyard City Center have filed a complaint against the city, claiming officials have used taxpayer resources to oppose the initiative. The city, however, calls the claims 'unfounded.' According to the City of Vineyard, the new city center would be located near a public promenade that includes outdoor spaces such as a playground, amphitheater, and more near Utah Lake. The building itself would be multi-purpose, housing not only city offices but also public spaces for farmer's markets, events, and more. In a letter addressed to the city, Kim Cornelius, one of the referendum's sponsors, said a brief video posted to Facebook answering questions on the proposed city center and a joint statement provided to media outlets — — violates Utah State Law. The law, Cornelius says, from using public funds to influence ballot propositions, including proposed referenda. Key takeaways from the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally in SLC 'This prohibition extends to publishing arguments for or against such propositions on public entity websites or social media platforms,' Cornelius wrote in the letter. 'We are also concerned that City of Vineyard resources were used to write and distribute a joint statement from the Mayor and City Council Members that clearly advocate against the referendum and publicly slanders the co-sponsors of the referendum.' The statement in question was . In it, city officials expressed concern that the 'efforts of a small, vocal minority to mislead the public and push for a referendum' could potentially be a waste of city resources and cost the city more in the future. The referendum's sponsors argue that its referendum is about putting the decision into the hands of Vineyard voters. If successful, the referendum would put the $35 million city bond before a vote in November. 'The City has instead tried to tilt the scales,' said David Lauret, a co-sponsor of the referendum. 'All we're asking for is a fair process, the law guarantees that, and we intend to hold them to it.' Where is crime happening? New map shows recent crimes in Salt Lake neighborhoods In the complaint, the referendum's sponsors demanded the city remove 'all advocacy content' from City platforms and issue a public retraction on the statement. The complaint also includes a cease-and-desist on any further advocacy activity and asks for equal platform access for referendum proponents. The City of Vineyard told it takes all legal obligations seriously and is committed to transparency and compliance with the law. That said, city officials said the allegations made by the referendum's sponsors were 'unfounded.' In response, a Vineyard City spokesperson said the videos referenced by the referendum's leaders were pre-prepared before the city received a petition for a referendum and were created as part of the city's formal public engagement process. 'They were not created to influence the outcome of any ballot proposition, but rather to inform the public and solicit input on a project of broad civic importance and for which statutorily required public hearings are part of the process,' the city's statement reads. Garage on Beck is permanently closing its doors, building to be torn down In response to the statement, Vineyard said its views reflect those of elected officials who are permitted under Utah law to express their opinions on matters of public concern, including pending ballot propositions. 'Utah Code allows for such expressions by elected officials,' the statement continues. 'When not made using public funds for advocacy, they are lawful and protected.' Vineyard emphasized that the city center project has strong support from the City Council, with the recent vote to initiate the $35 million bonding process passing with the approval of all but one city council member. 'The City will continue to engage in responsible public communication and ensure that residents have access to accurate, timely, and relevant information about major projects, including the proposed Vineyard Center,' the city's statement concluded. The referendum's sponsors gave the City of Vineyard a 5 p.m. deadline on Monday, April 14, to comply with its demands. If the deadline is not met, the sponsors said they would file a formal complaint with state agencies and possibly seek a lawsuit against the city. The Vineyard City Council is scheduled to meet again to review the proposed $35 million bond on Wednesday, May 14. In addition to finalizing a decision on whether or not to move forward with the hearing, the council will hear from the public during the meeting. White House defends tariffs strategy Man found dead at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park after days-long search Hundreds of officers honored at National Law Enforcement Memorial U.S. and Iran discuss nuclear deal El Salvador's president says he won't return mistakenly deported man Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
