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The Forward Party has managed to gain electoral privileges for two seats in Pennsylvania Row, meaning voters no longer need to register their names to elect them.
Attorney General candidate Eric Settle of Montgomery County and Treasurer candidate Chris Foster of Allegheny County will be on the ballot, as will their major party opponents.
Craig Snyder, chief political strategist for the Pennsylvania Forward Party, called it a “testament to the many volunteers who work long hours.”
The Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s Office requires third-party candidates to have 2,500 signatures to get on the ballot. Settle and Foster far exceeded that mark, each with over 4,000 signatures.
Somewhat surprisingly, the two candidates of the Forward Party were able to avoid any legal disputes.
The self-described centrist party had to overcome several hurdles to secure those spots on the ballot. These rules are admittedly confusing, held together by a number of caveats, and vulnerable to lawsuits.
State election law requires them to collect 33,000 signatures to get on the ballot. The deadline to submit the paperwork was August 1. Both candidates failed to clear that hurdle, but Snyder isn’t worried.
“The last date under election law to challenge access to the ballot for any reason – possibly this one – was August 8, so that day has long passed,” Snyder said.
Former Republican New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang founded the Forward Party in 2022 with the goal of creating a viable third option for voters.
Settle, a lawyer who worked under former Governor Tom Ridge, and Foster, a tennis pro, launched their campaigns in March.
Lindsey Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, said she is often asked if starting a third party is feasible in the current political climate. Some tell her it is not.
“The reality is that the two established parties currently have set the rules of the game,” Drath said. “They have set the rules of the game. There are state legislatures all over the country that keep raising the hurdles for new competitors to enter. To change the game, we have to get in there and play the game and play by their rules, which means becoming a nationally recognized political party.”
Their goal for the 2024 Pennsylvania general election is to qualify as a minor political party. To do so, candidates must clear the crucial 2% hurdle. If they succeed, Pennsylvania residents could officially register with the Forward Party.
