Utah State Senator Daniel Thatcher announced this week that he will resign from his seat ahead of the 2026 general legislative session. The Utah Forward Party has said it will host an open selection process to determine his replacement, which it is entitled to name under state law.
Thatcher announced his resignation from Utah’s Senate District 11 in an October 21 social media post, reflecting on his time spent in office and thanking supporters. “My first obligation is not to any political party, but rather to my constituents,” he wrote. “To give them the best outcome, I am announcing my intention to resign prior to the next general legislative session.”
Thatcher joined the organization in March when it was still the Forward Party of Utah, leaving the Republican Party on the grounds it had become increasingly disconnected from Utah voters on key legislative priorities. At the time, he voiced concerns about the passage of HB 300, which he said undermined the state’s vote-by-mail process, as well as broader legislative efforts to exert control over citizen-led ballot initiatives.
Thatcher said that he and the Utah Forward Party would use the vacancy to conduct a “first-of-its-kind” replacement process. Under Utah election law, midterm legislative vacancies are filled by the political party of the departing legislator, giving the Utah Forward Party authority to establish its own procedure. He added that he would continue to serve “to the best of [his] ability” throughout the transition.
The party released additional details in an October 22 statement, adding it would conduct a virtual “open process” allowing all District 11 voters to participate, regardless of party affiliation. The process will serve as a “test case” for election reform, using secure digital voting technology at lower cost than Utah’s current vote-by-mail system and allowing voters to support multiple candidates. The party also said it expects the project to draw national interest among election officials and reform advocates due to its experimental nature.
In the statement, Chair Michelle Quist presented the project as a challenge to the state’s traditional delegate-driven replacement process. “Roughly one in four Utah legislators currently serving first assumed office through a closed-door, delegate-only special replacement process, where less than one percent of the voters in the district participate,” she said. “The Forward Party is doing things differently. Parties don’t own these seats. People do.”
The process, outlined at its own website, invites eligible residents of the district to apply to be the party’s nominee by November 11. According to the guidelines, applicants must affiliate with the Forward Party, sign a candidate pledge, and commit to running for reelection in 2026 to be considered. The party noted that some details could still change but said any updates would be publicly explained.
If more than five candidates apply, the field may be narrowed ahead of a December 2 online debate hosted by the Utah Forward Party. Those candidates who “spend significant sums of money to gain a competitive advantage, or [engage in] any smear campaigns that violate the spirit of the Candidate Pledge,” will also be disqualified. Voting will take place digitally from December 8–11, with results announced by the state party’s Executive Committee on December 12.
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