SPLIT
John --
Most Americans know something’s broken. Toxic partisanship, closed primaries, and gerrymandered districts have left voters frustrated and powerless -- watching yet another government shutdown while politicians play the same old game. The truth is, the system is designed to protect the two major parties, not the people they’re supposed to serve.
In an op-ed <[link removed]> in Saturday's Boston Globe, Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath lays out how we fix it. In her powerful and inspiring piece, she explains how the nation needs an alternative party now more than ever and how Forward is building a real alternative; one rooted in accountability, collaboration, and common sense, and not a spoiler party. Lindsey also makes the case for Forward as a movement to replace dysfunction with problem-solvers and give every voter a true choice. She demonstrates how Forward's fulcrum strategy in Congress can put an end to the type of partisan gridlock that has led to this extended shutdown. It is a great thought piece on "Why Forward and Why Now."
The op-ed is behind a paywall, but the full text is pasted below.
OPINION: A choice for Americans tired of political gridlock
We’re not just offering an alternative party. We’re working for a better system.
By Lindsey Williams Drath
The current structures of America’s political system encourage toxic polarization, extreme policy positions, and blatant self-interest. No wonder we find ourselves in the midst of a government shutdown. All the while, the majority of voters yearn for good government and true representation.
Americans are deeply dissatisfied with our politics.More than half the respondents <[link removed]>in a recent poll believe we are in a constitutional crisis, only half believe our government is a democracy, and more than60 percent favor a viable third-party alternative <[link removed]>.While congressional approval sits at roughly26 percent, <[link removed]?>most individual members are reelected at a staggering rate of more than96 percent <[link removed]?>.
The dissatisfied majority is vastly underrepresented by current elected leaders. Independents now consistently outnumber registered Republicans or Democrats nationally. Meanwhile, the two major parties dominate redistricting measures and control election rules that effectively lock out alternatives.
This is why the Forward Party was founded: By giving Americans disappointed with the status quo a real choice, we can populate town halls, state capitols, and Congress with principled lawmakers committed to country over party and solutions over partisan gridlock.
What would the halls of the Capitol have looked like last month if a dozen members of Congress elected outside of the two-party system had held out their votes until Republicans and Democrats came together and compromised to explore an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax subsidies? This is an issue that 77 percent of Americans can agree on, and yet that did not happen.
<[link removed]>CHIP IN TO HELP ELECT MORE INDEPENDENTS <[link removed]>
There are about 520,000 elected offices in the United States. In 2024, 70 percent of races examined by Ballotpedia ran uncontested. Combine that with the fact that only 69 out of 435 US House seats are competitive, with 85 percent of seats decidedly red or blue, and we see a map of America with little real political competition.
The current structures of America’s political system encourage toxic polarization, extreme policy positions, and blatant self-interest. No wonder we find ourselves in the midst of a government shutdown. All the while, the majority of voters yearn for good government and true representation.
Americans are deeply dissatisfied with our politics. More than half the respondents in a recent poll believe we are in a constitutional crisis, only half believe our government is a democracy, and more than 60 percent favor a viable third-party alternative. While congressional approval sits at roughly 26 percent, most individual members are reelected at a staggering rate of more than 96 percent.
In uncompetitive congressional districts, the party not in power has all but given up, leaving voters no choice at the ballot box. Beyond congressional districts, entire states have been deemed blue or red. The Democratic Party isn’t investing in serious competition in red-state Utah, and the Republican Party isn’t investing in serious competition in blue-state Massachusetts.
Yet in Massachusetts, 65 percent of voters are registered as unaffiliated or with third parties. Of the nine congressional districts in Massachusetts, only two districts had a Republican on the ballot running against the Democratic candidate last November. This is where the Forward Party comes in: to give voters a choice.
The Forward Party is committed to running values-based, solution-oriented candidates for all offices at the state and local level, as we build the infrastructure needed to stand up viable campaigns for federal office.
We will build a big tent by leading with shared values like accountability, transparency, and commitment to the rule of law instead of rigid ideology. We welcome disaffected Democrats, Republicans, and independents who are tired of toxic partisanship and lack of policy solutions. We are building from the ground up, starting with local races and community leadership rather than national personalities.
We will foster civil discourse and respectful disagreement to reach consensus on how to solve challenges affecting Americans like affordability, the rise of AI, physical and mental health challenges, immigration, crime and safety, and educating our children for a changing world. These core issues can unite diverse voters around practical solutions. We will leverage technology to drive grass-roots organizing, participatory policy-making, and transparency. We will seek to reframe political language, talking about problem-solvers and community-first governance instead of left vs. right or us vs. them.
Over the past 30 years, there have been multiple attempts to introduce competition into the political process. However, they have all been in races for president, including Ross Perot, Mike Bloomberg, and the No Labels Unity Ticket. With hundreds of thousands of elected offices across the country, voters have the opportunity to introduce competition into the political process from the ground up. Additionally, in a gridlocked Congress, a new political party can be the most powerful voting bloc with fewer than a dozen members.
We’re not just offering an alternative party. We’re working for a better system. A system in which election rules are fair, primary voters aren’t locked into extremes, and public servants who work toward consensus problem-solving are rewarded. America deserves more choices, not more division.
<[link removed]>CHIP IN TO HELP ELECT MORE INDEPENDENTS <[link removed]>
SPLIT
Utah Forward Party takes a novel approach to replace retiring Sen. Daniel Thatcher <[link removed]>| KUER
The usual procedure for a mid-term appointment is for party delegates in the district to choose a replacement. However, the Forward Party of Utah says it wants to dosomething different <[link removed]>.
“The unprecedented process we’re launching today gives the people of District 11, all of them, the power to decide who represents them,” Utah Forward Party Chair Michelle Quist said in a statement. “Parties don’t own these seats. People do.”
SPLIT
October 29 | Veterans and Military Families Committee October General Meeting
Join the FWD Veterans and Military Families Committee for our October General Meeting on Wednesday, October 29th, 2025, at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET. This virtual event will spotlight service, leadership, and reform, featuring Forward-endorsed veteran candidates and partners advancing democracy.For more information and to RSVP, click here. <[link removed]>
October 29 | Black Voters Committee Candidate Forum
Join the Forward Party’s Black Voters Committee on October 29th at 8:30 PM ET | 5:30 PM PT for a virtual Candidate Forum featuring three inspiring leaders: Kenann McKenzie-Defranco (MA), candidate for Beverly City Council At-Large; Jazz Hampton (MN), candidate for Mayor of Minneapolis; and Jhamar Youngblood (NJ), candidate for Newark City Council Central Ward. For more information and to RSVP, click here. <[link removed]>
SPLIT
<[link removed]>Red States are preparing for an end to the Voting Rights Act <[link removed]> | Politico
Some Republicans across the south are preparing to redraw their congressional maps to boot Democrats out of office — if the Supreme Court issues a ruling on a case gutting the Voting Rights Act in time for the midterms.
-=-=-
Forward Party - 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States
This email was sent to
[email protected]. To stop receiving emails: [link removed]
-=-=-
Created with NationBuilder - [link removed]
