The Forward Party has endorsed four candidates seeking U.S. Senate seats this year, backing campaigns in Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, and Montana in what it calls “the most expansive independent Senate endorsement slate by any political organization in the 2026 election cycle.”
In a June 18 statement, the national party announced its support for Todd Achilles in Idaho, Brian Bengs in South Dakota, Bob Chew in Colorado, and Seth Bodnar in Montana. The endorsements are the Forward Party’s first for U.S. Senate seats of the cycle and bring its total number of endorsed candidates this year to 11.
A list maintained by the national party shows that most of its endorsed candidates are running as either independent or unaffiliated candidates, with another two appearing under the Forward label and a single candidate in a nonpartisan statewide race. The list does not take into consideration any separate endorsements made by state and local affiliates for this cycle.
Among the four Senate hopefuls, Achilles, Bengs, and Bodnar are identified on the list as independent candidates. Chew, on the other hand, is listed by the national party as a Forward candidate, despite being included in the party’s statement announcing the slate as independent Senate candidates. Chew was previously backed by the Colorado Forward Party at its nominating assembly, where the state party said members formally endorsed him as one of five candidates running under the Forward banner in Colorado this cycle.
The Forward Party’s national list also includes Andy Kaplan, who is running under the Forward label in South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, and Dave Larson, a nonpartisan candidate for the Washington Supreme Court. In past cycles, the party has endorsed a mix of candidates running on its own ballot line, candidates from other political parties, independent candidates, and candidates in nonpartisan races.
“These candidates are not running to fit into the system as it exists today,” Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath said in the announcement. “They are running to help fix it by bringing people together, listening to their communities, and focusing on what actually works. The Forward Party is proud to stand with each of them.”
The party said having a small bloc of independent senators could position the group as a potential wedge in a closely divided chamber, potentially giving it leverage over control of the Senate if neither major party holds a clear majority. “These four campaigns are not just about winning four individual Senate seats but could be a pathway to fundamentally changing how the Senate works,” the statement read.
“Today, the chamber is held together by a narrow partisan majority, with control of the calendar, committee chairs, and the legislative agenda determined entirely by which party holds the power,” it added.
Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the chamber, while Democrats hold 45, with independents holding the remaining two. With 35 of those seats up in 2026, Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to shift partisan control come 2027.
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