Yang announces new Forward party with other centrist groups
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Forward Party co-founder Andrew Yang during a May event in New York City. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Andrew Yang announced Wednesday that his Forward Party is merging with a coalition of Republicans, Democrats and independents as part of an effort to give Americans an alternative to the two major parties.
Why it matters: Yang says the new party, known as Forward, is now the third-biggest political party based on resources. Founding members hope it will serve to bridge the stark divide in U.S. politics.
Details: The new party will be co-chaired by Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey. Its founding base consists of members of the Renew America Movement (RAM), the Serve America Movement (SAM) and Yang's Forward Party, Reuters first reported.
- RAM was created by dozens of former officials in previous Republican administrations and is led by former Trump White House official Miles Taylor, while SAM is a political organization made up of Democrats, independents and Republicans that was founded by former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.).
What they're saying: "Our reach will expand very quickly," Yang wrote in a blog post announcing the party. "We are already on the ballot in several states with a goal of 15 states by the end of this year, twice that number in ’'23 and all 50 in '24."
- "What is the main objection you hear to third parties? 'They can't compete,'" Yang said. "Well, we are demonstrating that we can generate the resources necessary to elevate and elect candidates around the country with the support of tens of thousands of Americans and millions of dollars of grassroots funding."
- "Together, we are not left, not right, but Forward."
Between the lines, via Axios Twin Cities' Torey van Oot: Yang launched the Forward Party last year and had identified Minnesota as one of his first targets for building out a state-level party and presence.
- But his endorsed candidate for governor dropped out just before the filing deadline, and he didn't end up recruiting any candidates to run.
Worth noting: The party's debut in Minnesota did draw concern that any endorsed candidates would draw from Democrats' pool of possible voters in close races and tip the scales to Republicans come November.
Flashback: Andrew Yang says he officially left the Democratic Party
