Texas Forward Party to Host First State Convention, Back Independent Slate for 2026

The Texas Forward Party will host its inaugural state convention in Austin this spring, where members will select state leadership and set priorities for the year ahead. The party also plans to pursue ballot access and back a slate of independent candidates for the 2026 general election.

Early details provided in a save the date notice this week confirm the event will take place on April 11 and run through the evening. It will also host a welcoming reception separate from internal business the previous night. While a venue and meeting agenda is not yet available, the party will release additional information in the coming months.

“We’re bringing together community leaders from across Texas to lower the divisiveness and put power back in the hands of voters,” the party wrote upon announcing the convention. “Join us for a weekend of connection, inspiring speakers, candidate introductions, and hands-on preparation for the 2026 election.”

The Texas Forward Party has been organizing in the state since 2022, with more recent efforts focused on establishing an active on-the-ground presence.

In a roadmap released last April, the party said it was actively recruiting precinct- and county-level leadership with a plan to build a presence in all 254 Texas counties. It also outlined plans to expand its volunteer base, further develop positions on issues such as health care, energy, and education, and pursue ballot access for the 2026 election cycle.

During a recent virtual town hall address, party Chair Rick Kennedy provided an update on several of those objectives, adding the organization currently has 11 county chairs, with more local leaders in development. He also touched on a developing strategy aimed at cultivating a “wedge” of legislators in the Texas House sympathetic to Forward principles and priorities, including Democrats and Republicans, as well as any Libertarians, Greens, and independents who might be elected in the future.

According to Kennedy, the goal is not necessarily to elect Forward Party members, but to support candidates who could collectively deny either major party a legislative majority and force compromise toward the political middle.

Kennedy released additional details about the party’s internal calendar, with precinct-level conventions planned from March 5–10, followed by county conventions on March 14, which would lead into the April state convention. He said the state convention will focus primarily on organizing and will not include candidate nominations. It will also include leadership elections, which will be open to individuals “officially affiliated” with the Forward Party.

As part of the address, Kennedy said the Texas Forward Party intends to support a slate of candidates in 2026 while it continues to pursue its own ballot access.

He listed several candidates the party plans to assist, including Mike Collier, who is running for Texas lieutenant governor; William Taggart, a former Harris County Forward Party chair running in Texas’ 38th Congressional District; Veronica Williams, who is running in the 23rd Congressional District; and Raj Vats, who is running for Harris County district clerk. All four candidates are mounting independent bids for office.

Kennedy added the party plans to assist each with ballot access efforts, volunteer organizing, voter outreach, and get-out-the-vote operations. Several of those candidates are also expected to attend the upcoming state convention.