Party co-founded by Andrew Yang to launch in Washington

Oct. 6—The Forward Party, founded by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, will soon have an official presence in Washington state.

In a Thursday news release, the party announced it will soon hold an officer election and will host a political party convention in the spring.

The party does not plan to run a presidential candidate in the 2024 election and is instead focused on "grassroots voter initiatives and getting local candidates to run for local, regional and state offices," according to spokesperson Mary Cooke-Baker, a Chehalis resident.

The party, founded in 2016 by Yang and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, has published a core set of principles and has tasked state and local chapters to craft policy that means those values and the interests of residents.

"Our state lead team has been hard at work this past year, although in a low-key way," Cooke-Baker said. "We've assembled a talented group of core volunteers. They've drafted bylaws, filed as a bona fide minor party within the state, chosen a treasurer, and selected a project management platform. We also finally have our own website, separate from the national website, and we're building out our capabilities to accept donations, build an email list, and invite volunteer participation."

State leaders for the party include Krist Novoselic, of Wahkiakum County, Darin Foster, of Yakima County, Jonathan West, of Seattle, and Marta de la Torre, of Olympia. More information on the party can be found at wa.forwardparty.com.

"We have no intention of creating a 'spoiler' effect in 2024. The national party is not running any presidential candidates," Cooke-Baker said in the release. "Our state party is focused on grassroots voter initiatives and getting local candidates to run for local, regional and state offices."

Learn more at https://home.forwardparty.com/washington.