Utah Forward Party

With frustration over the two major parties on the rise, the Forward Party of Utah is looking to turn one unlikely seat in the Legislature into a broader political movement.

The deadline for affiliated Utah voters to switch parties is April 1. This matters for voting in a closed primary, such as the GOP primary. For open primaries, voters don’t have to switch affiliation to participate.

Emily Buss will serve out the remainder of Sen. Daniel Thatcher’s term in the Utah Legislature. Originally a Republican, Thatcher joined the Forward Party in March.

Thatcher was Utah’s lone third-party lawmaker. When someone retires, the usual process is for district party delegates to choose a replacement. Utah Forward is trying something else.

Thatcher drew his own map to get people talking. The Utah Legislature will publish its proposed map, after a court voided the current congressional map, on Sept. 25.