Washington State Forward Party Prepares Official Launch

CHEHALIS, Wash. - Oct. 5, 2023 - PRLog -- The Washington State Forward Party is about to hold an officer election in early October, and is preparing to host its first political party convention next spring.

"Our state lead team has been hard at work this past year, although in a low-key way," said media advisor Mary Cooke-Baker, of Chehalis, Washington. "We've assembled a talented group of core volunteers. They've drafted bylaws, filed as a bonafide 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."

The upcoming election, Cooke-Baker adds, will be "an internal, under-the-radar affair. But we want to start getting the word out that we exist, we're officially open for business, and we're actively seeking volunteers."

Some of the state lead members include Krist Novoselic of Wahkiakum County, who also serves on the national board; Darin Foster, Yakima County; Jonathan West, a well-known Seattle sportscaster and podcaster; and Marta de la Torre of Olympia.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the Forward Party, according to Cooke-Baker. "We have no intention of creating a 'spoiler' effect in 2024. The national party is not running any presidential candidates. Our state party is focused on grassroots voter initiatives and getting local candidates to run for local, regional and state offices." She added that many people confuse the Forward Party with a third party called No Labels. "These are completely separate organizations, with vastly different goals."

The Forward Party was co-founded by tech entrepreneur and 2016 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman. Rather than presenting a policy position paper, the national party has published a brief set of core principles. It is up to each state chapter to craft principles and policies that best reflect each state's constituents and interests.

"This is a good place for Independents and centrists," says Cooke-Baker who has been an Independent voter for 50 years. "I've lived in places and times that made it impossibly hard to be an Independent voter," she said. "My dad, Joe Cooke, used to call himself a 'GDI', which was code for 'god damn Independent'."

"Washington State has always had a strong independent streak, and there are more Independent and centrist voters now than ever before. It's time for us to have a voice and be heard."

Those interested in volunteering, joining or donating to the Washington State Forward Party can do so through their website at https://wa.forwardparty.com. Media inquiries can be directed to Mary Cooke-Baker, mary@solid-communications.com.