Utah senator announces he's leaving the Republican party, joining Utah Forward Party
A Republican Utah senator says he’s had enough of a party that he believes is becoming disconnected from Utahns and straying from true conservative and freedom-focused principles.
Standing in the Utah Capitol rotunda, Sen. Dan Thatcher, of West Valley City, told a group of reporters Friday — the final day of the Legislature’s 2025 session — that he would be unaffiliating from the Republican Party.
Instead, he said he’ll be joining the Utah Forward Party — a centrist party that has the slogan “Not left. Not right. Forward.”
Standing alongside a handful of Forward Party leaders, Thatcher said he and his wife had been discussing the change for “a really, really long time.” But he said the Utah Legislature’s 2025 session (which has included legislation focused on facilitating the Trump administration’s deportation goals, restricting voting by mail, banning LGBTQ+ flags from schools and public property, and more) was the final straw — or bale of hay, as he put it — that broke the camel’s back.
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/03/07/utah-senator-dan-thatcher-leaving-republican-party-joining-utah-forward-party/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.