The Forward Party is proud to announce that Utah State Sen. Daniel Thatcher has left the GOP to join ranks with the Forward Party. 

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On the final day of the 2025 Legislative Session, Utah Senator Dan Thatcher announced he was switching parties – leaving the GOP for Utah Forward.

Thatcher, who ran unopposed in 2022, has served in the state legislature since 2011. He currently represents District 11 which covers Tooele County and a portion of West Valley. His current term runs through 2026 when he is up for re-election.

During a press conference, Thatcher explained that it was his frustrations with the disconnect between the public and legislators that led to his decision. He argued that the Utah legislature has “gone away from the people.”

“You’re not imagining it, you’re not crazy – we don’t listen to you. We don’t have to listen to you because you don’t elect us,” said Thatcher. “The system in Utah is set up so that very very few people actually make that decision and it’s probably not you. And I think that is the core of the disconnect between the actions of the legislature and the needs and the values of the public that we’re supposed to represent.”

Earlier in the 2025 General Session, Thatcher gave an emotional speech against the controversial public union bill where he said more and more that his constituents email him telling him they do not feel heard.

He is now the only third-party lawmaker in both the Utah Senate and Utah House of Representatives.