A Utah senator who left the Republican Party earlier this year to become the state’s first lawmaker to join the Forward Party of Utah has announced that he intends to resign before the 2026 legislative session set to begin in January.
However, whether Sen. Dan Thatcher of West Valley City actually tenders his resignation depends on what happens over the next two months — and whether the Forward Party of Utah can actually pick his replacement through a district-wide preference poll or not.
It would be the first situation of its kind in Utah, but it’s possible the new party could hit obstacles — including a potential challenge from the Utah Republican Party, of which Thatcher was a member of when he was last re-elected to represent Senate District 11 in 2022.
Thatcher announced his plan to resign in a post on X on Tuesday night, saying he was “proud of the work I’ve done, the friends I’ve made, and for always keeping my word, no matter the cost or difficulty.”
“My first obligation is not to any political party, but rather to my constituents. To give them the best outcome, I am announcing my intention to resign prior to the next general legislative session,” Thatcher wrote. “In accordance with state law, the Forward Party and I will take this opportunity to carry out a first-of-its-kind, open and honest replacement process.”
Thatcher’s divorce from the Republican Party earlier this spring came as Thatcher grew increasingly frustrated with the GOP, saying it’s become disconnected from Utahns and has strayed from true conservative and freedom-focused values.
In recent years, Thatcher became no stranger to bucking his party’s line, especially on LGBTQ+ issues. Tensions rose between him and Republican legislative leaders, who reassigned Thatcher from his longtime committee assignments and moved his seat on the Senate floor to sit with Democrats.
Additionally, Thatcher continues to deal with impacts from a stroke he suffered in 2022 — but Thatcher told Utah News Dispatch on Wednesday his health and clashes with Republican legislative leaders aren’t why he plans to resign before the end of his six-year term.
He said far too often elections in Republican-dominated Utah are decided by closed primaries or, in the case of midterm vacancies, parties hand-picking their preferred candidate rather than elections open to all voters regardless of party affiliation.
“Why am I doing this now? Because we have an opportunity,” Thatcher said. “This will be the first election I can think of that will actually be decided by … voters with different or in some cases no party affiliation. I think that is the No. 1 most important thing happening here, is this is going to be an election where everyone has a say. And I can’t think of a time when that’s happened.”
However, Thatcher said if for any reason the Forward Party of Utah isn’t able to proceed with its selection process, he’s prepared to change course, including not submitting his resignation letter to Senate President Stuart Adams and keeping his seat.
“I fully intend to resign,” Thatcher said, but he added “if they force my hand then I am prepared with as many options on the table as possible.”
Read the full report at UtahNewsDispatch.com.
