The Forward Party is a political action committee (PAC) in the United States that aims to establish a new political party. At the state level, the Forward Party has one political party affiliate.

The PAC’s stated goals are to reduce partisan polarisation and achieve election changes, according to Andrew Yang, a former 2020 presidential and 2021 New York City mayoral candidate.

On October 5, 2021, the Forward Party was formally established as a political action committee. To achieve its claimed aim of helping create an alternative to the two major American parties, the PAC wants to seek recognition as a political party from the Federal Election Commission.

For the time being, candidates affiliated with the organisation will be candidates for the two major American political parties, as well as independent candidates, according to the document.

Political History of the Forward Party

Yang announced the formation of the party in his 2021 book, Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy. “Our politicians are judged solely not on addressing issues but on accruing wealth and keeping office,” Yang wrote.

Yang explained that one of the reasons he wanted to form a third party rather than form a caucus within the Democratic Party was that the majority of the states with ballot initiatives are red, and efforts to modify the voting system would be partisan rather than system-wide.

Yang indicated that he would have liked the Forward Party’s platform to be incorporated into the Democratic Party.

However, he believed that implementing top-ranking voting and open primaries while staying a Democrat would be difficult.

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2022 Election of the Forward Party

The Forward Party states that in the 2022 elections, it will support candidates from both major parties who embrace its policies.

According to Yang, the Forward Party would not act as a spoiler since it would back any Democrats or Republicans who accepted the party’s platform. According to the Forward Party website, candidates linked to the Forward Party are expected to run as members of one of the two major political parties.

According to Yang, the Forward Party is not interested in running a presidential candidate and is instead focused on reducing party deadlock in Congress and state legislatures.

Prior to the 2024 US presidential election, the Forward Party has suggested that it may organise its own primary to pick a candidate. Former state legislator Blair Walsingham and attorney Jeff Kurzon were among the party’s founding members.

Minnesota as the First State to be The Forward Party’s Affiliate Member

The Forward Party elected Minnesota as the first state to establish an affiliate party in February 2022.

Minnesota was chosen because it has “primary elections, public resources for competitors and an independent mentality,” according to Yang.

John Denney, a representative of the Independence Party of Minnesota who ran for Congress in 2014, is the head of the Minnesota chapter.

Denney attempted to persuade Richard Painter, who served as the White House ethics lawyer during the current administration, to run for Minnesota Attorney General in 2022 as a member of the Forward Party. A radio personality named Cory Hepola launched his candidacy for Governor of Minnesota in 2022 as a candidate of the Forward Party.

Politics Positions

The party’s platform proposes term restrictions for members of Congress of 18 years. It also proposes the creation of a new Department of Technology at the cabinet level. The party is in favour of civic juries and a “citizens’ portal.” Data as a property right is supported by the party.

The PAC advocates for a “human-centered capitalism” economy, as well as the implementation of universal basic income and support for alternative measures of economic development.

The party supports automatic tax filing and believes that cryptocurrencies should be regulated in a “fair and rational” manner.

The party’s platform advocates for universal health care and wants states to establish nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice voting, a notion Yang borrows from political theorist and businesswoman Katherine Gehl’s Final-Five Voting.

Independent redistricting commissions and public financing transformation in the form of democracy dollars are also proposed. People are encouraged to keep their Democratic and Republican party memberships in order to avoid being disenfranchised while being unable to compete in party primaries.

As a result, the Forward Party intends to support representatives from both major parties, as well as independents, libertarians, and any third-party candidates who support the key values.

Criticization by the Opposition

Some Democrats have criticised the Forward Party, claiming that it could act as a spoiler and aid Republicans.

Jacobin’s Luke Savage slammed the party’s ideology as “pseudo-populism that’s essentially more about redefining the status quo than overturning it.”

According to MSNBC opinion blogger Zeeshan Aleem, the Forward Party is “an uninteresting muddle without vision or purpose.”

“Why think about going through the trouble of forming a third party if its formation is the only thing it plans to accomplish?” asked Natalie Shure of The New Republic, describing the party as “vapid” or a “political stunt.”

Others complimented the party, like Kara Swisher, an editorial writer for The New York Times, who stated, “Yang does not just give us a laundry list of insoluble problems, but shows us how to discover solutions if we think in new ways and muster the confidence to do so.”

Notable Members of the Forward Party

The following are the important members of the Forward Party as mentioned below:

The former candidate for president and entrepreneur or co-chair – Andrew Yang

Democratic nominee for Congress or political director- Blair Walshingham

Former congressional candidate member- Brandon Millholland-Corcoran

Former governor of New Jersey or co-chair- Christine Todd Whitman

Former radio show host and candidate for governor of Minnesota member- Cory Hepola

The former representative from Florida and former third-party leader and co-founder- David Jolly

Founder of the Independent Voting Movement and member of the board- Jackie Salit

Attorney and former candidate for Congress and former party attorney and member- Jeff Kurzon

Former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania and co-founder- Joe Sestak

Founder and President of Better for America and member of the board- John Kingston

Businesswoman and member of the board- Maryfrances Metrick

Former chief of staff to the United States Department of Homeland Security and co-CEO- Miles Taylor

Former chief White House ethics lawyer member- Richard Painter

Billionaire member- Ron Corio

How is the Forward Party different from other political parties?

The Forward Party promotes action rather than division. That entails rejecting political extremes and cooperating to take effective action on all crucial issues for the politically underrepresented majority in America. The following is how Forward Party is different from other political parties:

  • Diverse Thinking Isn’t Just Welcome, It’s Required

The Forward Party will be open to fresh perspectives and unafraid discussions regarding current issues. We won’t stifle discussion or reject modernization.

  • Bottom-Up, Not Top Down

The Forward Party will give leaders the tools they need to develop community-based solutions. We won’t impose a rigorous, top-down policy framework and anticipate that it will be effective for all Americans.

  • Join as you are — Left, Right, or Center

The Forward Party will establish a political home for anyone prepared to put aside partisan extremes and look for doable methods to improve this nation. We won’t be looking at IDs to see if folks are Independents, Democrats, or Republicans.

  • Less talking and more listening

The Forward Party will inquire about what you can do to help your neighborhood. We won’t ask what your neighborhood can do to help us.

  • Work Together, Not Against

The Forward Party will seek to find cooperative solutions, ensure that they are successful, and attempt another approach if the first doesn’t work. Nothing gets done when competing viewpoints are viewed as the enemy; we won’t neglect issues so that we can use them to polarize Americans.

  • Grace and Forgiveness

The Forward Party will approach one another with dignity and tolerance, looking for opportunities to help people instead of tearing them down. People who don’t follow the rules won’t be dropped from the party or excluded.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is the Founder of the Forward Party?

Ans. Andrew Yang is the founder of the Forward Party.

2. When was the Forward Party founded?

Ans. The Forward Party was founded on October 5, 2021.

3. Where is the headquarters of the Forward Party?

Ans. The headquarters of the Forward Party is in River Vale, New Jersey, U.S.

4. What is the Ideology of the Forward Party?

Ans. The ideology of the Forward Party is Populism, Reformism, and Decentralization.

5. What is the Political position of the Forward Party?

Ans. The political position of the Forward Party is the Center position.