Adding to its ever-growing roster of candidates, the Forward Party backs the 25-year incumbent of the District Attorney’s office who has won primaries as both a Democrat and Republican
8/17//2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pittsburgh, PA – Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has officially affiliated with the Forward Party today, deciding to run his reelection campaign as a Forward Republican. The Forward Party’s endorsement of Zappala builds upon its recent backing of Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, who demonstrated outstanding resilience in safeguarding the 2020 elections.
Forward Party CEO Lindsey Williams Drath stated, “The American people are looking for shared-ground solutions to our most pressing problems. District Attorneys are responsible both for ensuring that our laws are applied fairly, and that our communities are kept safe. Steve Zappala’s 25-year career as District Attorney exemplifies this balance. He has won both Democratic and Republican primaries, showing his broad-based and cross-partisan appeal. He’s the type of candidate that this country needs.”
DA Zappala joins other Forward Affiliates and elected candidates across the country, including mayors, members of city councils, and state legislators from California, Florida, and Arizona, among others. The Forward Party is built around shared values rather than a set of policy prescriptions, allowing local leaders to focus on solutions that will work in their communities. The Party’s focus on values allows our elected officials to work across the aisle to find shared solutions rather than engaging in partisan fighting tied to ideologies that fail to produce results for Americans.
Forward Affiliates are elected officials who retain their party registration with one of the two major parties, but publicly join with Forward and pledge to govern according to this values-based platform:
BOTTOM-UP, NOT TOP-DOWN
Forward empowers leaders to find solutions that work in their communities. We won’t dictate a rigid, top-down policy platform and expect it to work for all Americans.
DIVERSE THINKING ISN’T JUST WELCOME, IT’S REQUIRED
Forward welcomes new ideas and fearless conversations around the issues of the day. We won’t silence debate or refuse to adapt to the modern world.
WORK TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST
Forward strives for collaborative solutions. We’ll make sure they work, and we’ll try something else if they don’t.
ALL ARE WELCOME — LEFT, RIGHT, OR CENTER
Forward is creating a political home for everyone willing to work together in good faith to find practical ways to make this country better.
MORE LISTENING, LESS TALKING
Forward is asking what we can do for your community. We will not ask what your community can do for us.
GRACE AND TOLERANCE
Forward believes in approaching one another with grace and tolerance, finding ways to pick people back up rather than knock them down.
REFORM MINDED
Forward supports election reform policies such as ranked-choice voting and open, nonpartisan primaries to bring more competition and better options to the ballot in local elections.
As more and more Americans grow sick of the outdated two-party system in this country, more and more elected officials are finding a welcoming home in the Forward Party. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of elected leaders reach out to us, tired of being told what’s best for their constituents by out of touch party leaders,” said Lindsey Williams Drath, Forward Party’s CEO. “We believe that voters put people in office in order to solve their problems, and the Forward Party is creating space for these public servants to do just that, without requiring them to adopt policy positions they don’t believe in or know won’t work just to toe the party line.”
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better. https://www.forwardparty.com
For more information about the Forward Party, please read through our Prospectus and Q1 Fact Sheet.