The Forward Party has announced its first round of congressional endorsements for the 2026 election cycle, backing a slate of six candidates across multiple states. Additional endorsements are expected in the coming months.
In an April 9 email to supporters, the party said it is endorsing Chris Demers in California’s 18th Congressional District, Karen Matthews in California’s 23rd Congressional District, and Nate Powell in Washington’s 5th Congressional District. It is also backing Kelly Doss in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, Andy Kaplan in South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, and Mike Thurow in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District.
Most of the candidates are running as independents or otherwise without formal party affiliation. In California and Washington, Demers, Matthews, and Powell have filed as no party preference candidates, while Doss and Thurow are running as independents. Kaplan is the only candidate in the group who filed to appear on the ballot under the Forward Party line.
The slate represents the party’s first set of congressional endorsements of the year and follows its earlier backing last November of Maine state Sen. Rick Bennett in his independent bid for governor. “That endorsement helped set the tone for what we are building,” the party added. “This first congressional slate continues that momentum.”
In its announcement, the party praised the candidates for coming from diverse communities and professional backgrounds while sharing a focus on problem solving and “practical leadership.” It called the upcoming general election “bigger than any single race” and argued that electing a small group of independent-minded leaders would make it more possible to steer government away from gridlock and better reflect public opinion.
“By supporting candidates like these, leaders who are independent minded, solutions oriented, and accountable, we are helping create a system where voters have real choices again,” the party stated. “This is an important step forward, and there is much more to come.”
The party said the slate is “just the beginning” and that additional endorsements will be released in the coming months, including in statewide, local, and other federal races.
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