The Forward Party secured its first sitting mayor in Florida on Tuesday after Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe announced he was leaving the Libertarian Party to join Florida’s new Forward state affiliate. Marlowe’s change makes him both the Forward Party’s first sitting mayor in Florida and nationwide.
In a LinkedIn post following news of the announcement, the Florida Forward Party praised Marlowe for his partisan switch, calling it “bold” and a positive shift for local politics.
“Major News! In a bold move, #Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe has switched to the #ForwardParty,” they wrote. “This positive shift in local politics reflects a growing movement towards progress and unity. The Forward Party is thrilled to welcome more candidates who share our vision for a brighter future!”
In an interview with the Main St. Daily News, Marlowe said he joined the Forward Party after becoming discontent with the Libertarian Party, which he described as content to argue and point out hypocrisy rather than focus on “agreements between citizens and parties.” He said he now looks to Forward to help heal national divisions that, in his view, have grown to fester over the decades.
Marlowe was first elected Mayor of Newbury in 2017, where he then won additional terms in 2019 and 2021. All three times, he faced no opposition to his campaign. Newberry canceled the 2023 municipal elections after no one filed to challenge Marlowe or his colleagues.
The Forward Party, also known as Forward or FWD, is a new political party born from the combined efforts of Andrew Yang’s Forward PAC, the Serve America Movement, and the Renew American Movement.
It has teams of supporters in almost every state and several state affiliates, most of them partnerships with pre-existing political institutions, such as the Common Sense Party in California or the Griebel-Frank for CT Party in Connecticut due to its collaboration with the Serve America Movement. In addition, it has minor party recognition in California, Texas, Maine, North Carolina, and Nevada under the Forward name and has secured ballot access in Florida as of this year. However, it does not plan to field a presidential candidate in 2024.