The Forward Party of Utah has selected Emily Buss to succeed Sen. Dan Thatcher in representing the state’s 11th Senate District, following an open poll by the state party. Buss will serve the remainder of Thatcher’s term through the 2026 general election, pending her formal appointment by the governor.
In a December 12 announcement, the party said Buss won its preference poll, which had been underway since early November. The selection process followed Thatcher’s earlier decision to resign before the end of his term. Including Buss, five candidates were under consideration.
Under Utah law, when a legislator resigns from office during a midterm year, the political party with which they are affiliated submits a nominee to the governor to fill the vacancy. Thatcher, who joined the Forward Party in March, said at the time of his resignation that his “first obligation is not to any political party, but rather to my constituents,” adding that stepping aside ahead of the next legislative session would provide “the best outcome” for the district.
Following Thatcher’s resignation, the Forward Party opted instead to conduct what it called a “first-of-its-kind” process to determine its selection, with participation open to all registered voters in the district regardless of party affiliation. Shortly afterward, the party launched a public website detailing the nomination process, including candidate eligibility requirements and voting procedures, before later adding profiles of the official candidates and their stated priorities.
According to her own campaign details, Buss is a nonprofit leader and community advocate from Eagle Mountain whose background includes policy, research, and advocacy work focused on child welfare and social impact. Her provided platform outlines several priorities commonly associated with the Forward Party, including election reform, government transparency, and bipartisan governance. Buss also proposed several legislative initiatives she would introduce in office, including the creation of a publicly accessible database of state expenditures, contracts, and vendor payments, along with a requirement that legislation be accompanied by plain-language summaries.
The preference poll was conducted using approval voting and included both paper and electronic ballots, with digital submissions accounting for a supermajority of votes cast. Tabulation data released by the party shows a total of 1,324 ballots were submitted, representing 2,308 candidate approvals. Buss received 47.2% of the approvals, with the remaining four candidates receiving largely similar levels of support.
| Candidate Name | Digital Total | Paper Total | Combined Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Buss | 615 | 10 | 625 | 47.21% |
| Maleah Bliss | 430 | 6 | 436 | 32.93% |
| Tynley Bean | 419 | 7 | 426 | 32.18% |
| Jeff Marshall | 407 | 11 | 418 | 31.57% |
| Jeff Saunders | 395 | 8 | 403 | 30.44% |
Local media have since reported that the party submitted Buss’ name to Gov. Spencer Cox for formal appointment. They further state that Bob Axson, chair of the Utah Republican Party, which Thatcher was previously affiliated with before joining the Forward Party, does not plan to contest the appointment, though he said Republicans intend to field a challenger for the seat in the 2026 election.
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