The Forward Party has reported that at least 18 of the candidates it endorsed in local and state elections this week have won their races. The national organization made 56 endorsements ahead of Election Day.
In a November 6 announcement, the party said several additional races remain too close to call but regarded the results so far as a major step forward for its network of endorsed and affiliated candidates. “Forward candidates made huge strides because voters are tired of a system that doesn’t hear them,” the statement read. “We are so proud of this winning slate! It’s another step toward building a system that hears you.”
In the weeks leading up to the election, the national Forward Party announced a series of endorsements, including two large slates released in September and October. In total, the party backed 56 candidates, most of whom ran in nonpartisan or independent races, along with several Democrats and independents who signed the party’s values pledge.
According to the party, confirmed winning candidates included Kaci Cole, Andrew Graham, and Vicki Woods in Colorado; Bill Middleton, Deborah Norman, and Toby Practor in Connecticut; Laura Donovan in New York; J.C. Lyle, Stephen Morris, and Alvarys Santana in North Carolina; Lesa Brackbill, Danny Ceisler, Jessica Forsell, Eva McGowen, Eric Taylor, and Zachary Thompson in Pennsylvania; and Jay Doyle in South Carolina. Most ran in nonpartisan municipal or local elections, while three ran as Democrats and four under the Forward Party label.
Among those elected under the Forward Party label, Jay Doyle became the first candidate to win in South Carolina and the party’s first elected mayor in the state. Prior to his victory, the Forward Party had several affiliate members serving as Democrats, but none had been elected exclusively as Forward Party candidates.
The party also credited a win to James Kole, who was backed by the Maryland Forward Party in his race for Laurel City Council’s Ward 1 but was not listed among the national organization’s earlier endorsement slates. Kole, an incumbent and Forward Party member, was re-elected in a nonpartisan contest. A list of the winners is presented below:
Results from November 4, 2025
| Candidate Name | Position | State | Ballot Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaci Cole | Mesa County School Board of Directors, District D | Colorado | Nonpartisan |
| Andrew Graham | Littleton School Board | Colorado | Nonpartisan |
| Vicki Woods | Mesa County School Board of Directors, District E | Colorado | Nonpartisan |
| Bill Middleton | Stonington First Selectman | Connecticut | Independent |
| Deborah Norman | Stonington Board of Selectman, District 18 | Connecticut | Nonpartisan |
| Toby Proctor | Granby Board of Finance | Connecticut | Independent |
| James Kole | Laurel City Council, Ward 1 | Maryland | Nonpartisan |
| Laura Donovan | Ulster County Legislature, District 11 | New York | Democratic |
| Jeannie Lyle | Wilmington City Council | North Carolina | Nonpartisan |
| Stephen Morris | Stephen Morris | North Carolina | Nonpartisan |
| Alvarys Santana | Concord City Council, District 4 | North Carolina | Nonpartisan |
| Lesa Brackbill | Derry Township School Director | Pennsylvania | Independent |
| Danny Ceisler | Bucks County Sheriff | Pennsylvania | Democratic |
| Jessica Forsell | Doylestown Township Inspector of Elections, District 1 | Pennsylvania | Forward |
| Eva McGowen | Philadelphia County Judge of Election | Pennsylvania | Forward |
| Eric Taylor | Berks County Court of Common Pleas Judge | Pennsylvania | Democratic |
| Zachary Thompson | Shaler Township Judge of Elections, Ward 6, District 1 | Pennsylvania | Forward |
| Jay Doyle | Mayor of Georgetown | South Carolina | Forward |
This article was updated to include a list of the winning candidates, similar to what we’ve been doing for the other post-election reports.
James Kole in Maryland is a registered independent, and he regularly registers with one of the major parties at primary season, and then switches back to ‘independent”. I got this information from him in an e-mail.