John --

If you haven’t been paying attention to the U.S. Senate race in Utah, now is the time to start. Independent candidate Evan McMullin is running an historic campaign against incumbent Sen. Mike Lee that could have huge ramifications for control of the Senate. A victory for McMullin, who has pledged not to caucus with either party if elected, would mean he could become a linchpin vote in the divided chamber. 

Utah is a dependably red state that hasn't had a Democratic senator since 1977 and has never had an independent at that level. So when disturbing revelations about Mike Lee’s efforts to assist in overturning the 2020 presidential election became public earlier this year, Utah Democrats took a bold step. Recognizing both the threat Lee poses to democracy and the unlikelihood of defeating him, the Democrats voted not to put forward a candidate and to endorse McMullin instead. As a political strategy, it's unusual in the U.S., but for times such as these, it's the best hope we have of defending democracy. 

As columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote in The Washington Post, “McMullin is running on a high-minded message of unity in defense of democracy and finding ‘common sense’ solutions to problems. That he is competitive in a state such as Utah is a remarkable sign that traditional conservatives—after weeks of watching the House Jan. 6 select committee’s hearings and hearing about Trump’s apparent purloining of top-secret documents—might be tiring of the anti-democratic vitriol.”

Recent polls have shown McMullin closing the gap in a race that Lee was leading by double digits just a few months ago. After a strong showing in their debate earlier this week, McMullin’s momentum is continuing to build. Keep an eye on Utah, as it is proving that a unifying, independent leader with a commitment to democratic ideals and nonpartisan governance can compete.

• What Evan McMullin and Mike Lee told Utah voters during the 2022 midterm election debate —The Salt Lake Tribune

• How Utah's Evan McMullin could become a key U.S. Senate power broker —Reuters

• Forward Party endorses midterm candidates —The Fulcrum

• Republican Adam Kinzinger endorses pro-democracy candidates —The New York Times

• Opinion: McMullin is true independent to serve Utah and the nation —The Salt Lake Tribune
  
  

IN OTHER NEWS

Voters say democracy is under threat 
A newly released New York Times-Siena College poll validates what we’re all thinking: Americans believe U.S. democracy is under threat. A full 71% of registered voters agreed with that statement, and the issue was the third-highest listed concern for voters after inflation and the economy. Voters disagree on what those threats are, however. The largest share of respondents, 14%, said that government corruption is to blame for the current threat to democracy, followed by polarization, President Biden, and Donald Trump, among other factors. In a separate question, about 67% of respondents said Trump is either a major or minor threat, while 31% said he isn’t a threat at all. On the positive side, the poll shows that American voters remain stalwartly optimistic. About 81% agreed with the statement that our democracy can be rescued “within our laws and institutions.” Let’s get to it. —The Topline

Seattle faces voting reform choice
“In August, when Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola won a surprise victory over Sarah Palin and another Republican for a seat in Congress, it generated renewed discussion of ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to select multiple candidates on their ballots. Alaska voters adopted a version of this system in 2020, and now Seattle and two Washington counties are asking voters to consider ranked-choice voting on their November ballots. The Alaska test of ranked-choice voting has produced a surprising—and some would say, desired—outcome. Seattle, as well as Clark and San Juan counties, will be asked whether they want to change their election systems and allow voters to select more than one candidate in primary elections. In Seattle, the change would affect voting for the offices of mayor, city attorney, and city council.” —Andrew Engelson in Crosscut


Evan McMullin is just one of the federal, state, and local candidates that the Forward Party was proud to endorse, because they are as committed to our core principles and democracy reform efforts as we are. For a full list of Forward’s 2022 endorsements, click here, and if you can, please lend your support!

All the best,
The Forward Party Team

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