Utah Sen. Daniel Thatcher will step down ahead of the 2026 legislative session. He has served in the Senate since 2011.
“I am rightfully proud of the work I’ve done, the friends I’ve made, the votes I’ve cast, and for always keeping my word, no matter the cost or difficulty,” he wrote in an Oct. 21 social media post. “It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve in the State Senate. I will continue to serve to the best of my ability as this process unfolds.”
The third-party lawmaker represents Senate District 11, which covers Tooele and part of the west side of Salt Lake County.
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 do something different.
“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.”
Instead of a closed process for party insiders, Quist said the Forward Party will open it up to all eligible voters, regardless of political affiliation, who live in Thatcher’s district.
According to state law, the party of the lawmaker leaving office mid-term has the power to appoint a replacement. That process is also left to the party to decide.
This approach is borne out of a frustration with the status quo, she said. Many state lawmakers first get into office through mid-cycle appointments when someone else steps down.
“Roughly one-in-four Utah legislators currently serving first assumed office through a closed-door, delegate-only special replacement process, where less than 1% of the voters in the district participate,” she said. “Once appointed to office, these lawmakers enjoy a 97% incumbency reelection rate.”
To run for Thatcher’s seat, candidates must submit a declaration of intent with the Forward Party of Utah and be a registered party member by Nov. 11. The party has several other requirements, including:
- Resident of Utah for at least three years.
- Resided in Senate District 11 for at least the past six months.
- Submit to a comprehensive background check, including review of social media activity.
- Pay a $75 fee to cover the background check, or request a waiver.
- Sign the Forward Party Candidate Pledge.
- Sign a commitment stating that, if appointed, you will run for reelection in 2026 on the Forward Party ticket.
- Provide all social media profiles.
- Submit the Forward Party Candidate Application Packet in full on or before Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.
- Follow the campaigning guidelines to be established by the Forward Party, which, among other restrictions, limits the amount of money that can be spent.
Thatcher’s successor will then be chosen through a privately funded preference poll in December. They will assume office later that month and serve out the remainder of Thatcher’s term, which ends on Jan. 1, 2027.
Thatcher made waves in March by leaving the Republican Party to join the Forward Party of Utah. At the time, he said he had grown frustrated with the direction of the Utah GOP.
Thatcher found himself on the other side of his Republican colleagues in recent years. Most notably, he was a vocal opponent of anti-LGBTQ legislation and spoke out against Republican legislators trying to give themselves more power over citizen ballot initiatives. That effort, known as Amendment D, did not make it to voters after a judge ruled the Legislature used deceptive language to describe the effect it would have on the initiative process.
Following a long list of confrontations with Republican Senate leadership, Thatcher lost his long-time committee assignments ahead of the 2025 session and was shuffled into other committees. He has also dealt with continued health-related issues stemming from a 2022 stroke.
