Throughout June, states across the country held primaries to determine who would advance to the general election in November. The Forward Party had candidates running all over the country—and our candidates had an excellent showing! Hear a few of their stories below.
New York
John Avlon – NY-01 (US House)
John Avlon won his primary for the US House in NY-01. A lifelong author, journalist, and news anchor, John has written multiple books about the current state of American politics, including Independent Nation and Wingnuts: Extremists in the Age of Obama. Even though he’s running as a Democrat, he has been a longtime supporter of independent politics. He won his primary with a whopping 70.4% of the vote and will go on to face MAGA extremist Nick LaLota in November.
Utah
Rep. John Curtis – US Senate (UT)
Rep. John Curtis is running as a Forward Republican for the Senate seat that Mitt Romney is vacating this cycle. He won his primary in a wildly crowded field of 9 with 51.6% of the vote. His closest competitor only pulled in 28.1% of the vote, so the voters made their preference clear. Rep. Curtis is the founder of the Conservative Climate Caucus in the US House, a group of conservative lawmakers who believe that climate change is real and man made, and are dedicated to solving the problem.
Oregon
State Rep. Dan Rayfield – OR Attorney General
Dan Rayfield was raised by parents who come from different sides of the ideological spectrum, and he brings that bipartisan upbringing to the way he serves the public. He is currently the Speaker of the House in the Oregon legislature. His career as an attorney serves him well in his current role of Speaker of the House in the OR legislature working for a safer, healthier, and more just Oregon. That background will arguably serve him even better as AG, where he’ll work to keep families and communities safe.
Maryland
Janie Monier – Frederick County Board of Education (MD)
Janie Monier is running to help Maryland students achieve a better education. She’s currently the president of the PTA in her town and has learned firsthand what Maryland schoolchildren need. Once in office, she’ll focus on enhancing access to modern technology for students to help prepare them for the real world, help create better guidance for resolving behavioral conflicts, and work to assess the feasible implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland.
