The Forward Party today announced its endorsement of 5 candidates for state and local office in the Beehive State. The Forward Party has endorsed a cross-partisan coalition of local, state and federal leaders who refuse to be defined by their party affiliation and who are committed to putting the needs of their communities above partisan demands.
The endorsed candidates are: Lannie Chapman – Salt Lake City County Clerk, Ladd Johnson State House D46, Ammon Gruwell – State House D15, Kimberly Wagner – State Senate D7, and Miles Pomeroy – State House D49.
“These endorsements are part of a new wave of politics that Forward is inspiring,” said Jackie Salit, Forward Party Board Member and Independent Voting expert. “We’ve chosen to back leaders who are individually qualified and visionary. But it’s more than that. Our slate is a mix of Independents, Democrats, Republicans and minor party contenders – chosen without regard to their designation but because the barriers and silos of US politics need to be broken down. We’re stepping outside of the definitions that constrain and distort the will of the people. We’re redefining how politics can and should be done.”
The Forward Party is a new kind of party, focused on building from the ground up. These cross-partisan endorsements reflect that focus on the state and local level, where elected leaders have more power to solve everyday problems for the people. Utahns can feel confident when casting their vote on Election Day that Forward Party endorsed candidates are leaders who will put aside partisan bickering and work across political divides to solve problems.
“Too often people look past local politics, not recognizing that most of our problems are best addressed in mayors offices, town halls, and state legislatures,” remarked Blair Walsingham, Forward Deputy Director for Candidates and Campaigns. “We need to reinvigorate our local politics by electing leaders who will listen to their communities and take action to solve the problems that impact us the most. That’s exactly what these candidates stand for, and that’s why we’re proud to endorse them.”
The Forward Party’s endorsement process is different by design—built from the ground up to harness the passion and energy of our volunteers and grassroots supporters. This year, it started with an open call for endorsement requests, from both candidates and local Forward groups that had identified interesting candidates they wanted to put forward. A working group was assembled that included national HQ staff, state leads selected by their peers through a nomination/RCV process, and advisors to the party. That working group analyzed the candidates and made final recommendations.
To see a full list of candidates the Forward Party has endorsed so far visit: www.Forwardparty.com/endorsements.
The new Forward Party is bringing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents together to build a new kind of political party that represents the interests of the majority of Americans who reject extremism and division.
