Forward Party is Everywhere 08/21/2026

This week’s Fast Forward is building on the foundation we emphasized last week with the pursuits for ballot access, the expansion to 41 states, and the lasting infrastructure that will go beyond one election cycle. This week, we want to show you who that foundation is for.

In recent days, Forward Party endorsed three candidates in Ohio, New York, and Montana, whose regions could not be more different, and whose candidacies say the same thing: there are good people everywhere who are done waiting for the two parties to fix things, and they are doing something about it.

We would like to spotlight those candidates and the work they stand on.

Tracey Tackett has been doing the essential work of local government in Springfield, Ohio for years. As Assistant Mayor, she represents the city on boards and commissions covering economic development, transportation, neighborhood engagement, historic preservation, and community relations. This is the kind of work that determines whether a city functions, businesses open, or even if neighborhoods stay together.

She has also served in leadership roles with the Epilepsy Foundation of Ohio, the Glen Helen Association, Habitat for Humanity, the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and the American Cancer Society.

Her campaign is built on the conviction that OH-04 deserves a representative who brings people together rather than using the district as a vehicle for partisan warfare. She is running as an independent not because she couldn’t choose a party but because she has decided that the party framework itself is the problem.

Alissa Ellman joined the military before she was old enough to vote. She served at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, came home, and then spent years teaching underprivileged students before helping fellow veterans navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain the benefits they earned. She was doing that VA work when the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated her position.

That loss activated her. She began hosting town halls and listening sessions across New York’s 24th District and then launched a campaign for Congress that won the Democratic primary in June. She is now in the general election, and Forward Party is standing with her.

Her platform covers affordability, healthcare access, childcare, infrastructure, responsive constituent services, and election reforms including ranked-choice voting. But what defines her campaign more than any specific issue is the operating principle underneath all of them: listen first, govern pragmatically, represent everyone in the district, not just the people who share your political affiliation. That is a Forward Party principle as much as it is a campaign message. It is why we are endorsing her even as a Democratic nominee, because Forward has always said that good representation matters more than party label.

Dr. Michael Eisenhauer spent nearly 25 years in the United States Army as a physician and medical corps officer, serving in leadership positions around the world before deploying to Iraq as Deputy Forces Surgeon and Chief of Clinical Operations for Multi-National Forces–Iraq. He earned the Bronze Star for that service. When he retired from active duty, he came home to Montana and kept working, traveling to rural communities across the state to provide specialized cardiac care to patients who otherwise had no access to it.

He is running for Montana’s 2nd Congressional District as an independent because he believes the two-party system has stopped delivering for Montanans. Congress has dismal approval ratings, young Montanans are losing faith in the American Dream, and the people sent to Washington to fix these things keep prioritizing their party over their constituents. His platform focuses on affordability, healthcare, veterans’ issues, and reducing the partisan gridlock that has made Congress functionally useless on the issues Montana actually cares about. As an independent, he answers only to the people of Montana. That is the job as he sees it.

What These Endorsements Say

It is easy to make an argument for a better political system. Forward Party makes that argument every day. What is harder, and what matters more, is backing that argument with real candidates in real races, in places where real voters are being asked to make a choice this November.

Ohio, New York, and Montana are all very different but connected in wanting to revive faith in our democracy.

These are Forward Party’s megaphones. They speak in their own voices, from their own experience, to their own communities. That is the point. A movement that only produces candidates who sound like the party is not a movement. Forward Party is something different: a home for the kind of people who want to serve their communities and understand the needs of those communities better than any party leaders could.

As we get closer to November 3, Forward Party will continue endorsing candidates who meet our standard, wherever they are, whatever their background, ensuring more and better choices are on the ballot.

Please forward this to your friends, family, and coworkers. It helps us introduce them to Forward and to what we are building. Also consider inviting them to one of our upcoming events listed below. We’d love to meet them.

If you haven’t caught last week’s episode, Lindsey Williams Drath, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey dive in to two states where a new Governor is just around the corner.

Rick Bennett (ME) and Ken Block (RI) are both running as independents for governor in their states. They each have a unique state and a unique driver for running but they have one thing in common – an American independent spirit.

Click the image below to watch.

August 25, 2026 at 6:00pm Central Time

Illinois Forward Monthly Online Meetup

For our August meeting we’ll be learning about “Ranked Choice Voting”. What is it exactly? And can we/should we have it here in Illinois? As always, bring your friends, your neighbors, your questions and suggestions.

August 26, 2026 at 7:30pm Eastern Time

Women’s Committee Presents: Girls just want to Volunteer

Join the FWD Women’s Committee, along with special guests, co-chairs Lt Gov Kerry Healey and Gov Christine Todd Whitman, as they share their inspiring journeys from volunteer to elected official to leaders in this movement.

We will then discuss creative ways you can help support Forward candidates this campaign season, including using our new text banking platform prompt io. We will even have a couple of campaigns live if you would like to get started texting for incumbent Forwardists!

August 27, 2026 at 8:00pm Eastern Time

Black Voters Committee Volunteer Onboarding  

Join the Black Voters Committee for our monthly call. We’ll connect, share committee updates, discuss current priorities, and plan upcoming initiatives. New and returning members are welcome.

If you’re tired of waiting for the system to fix itself — this is your moment.
👥 Volunteer | 🗳️ Run for Office | 💸 Donate | 🌐 forwardparty.com

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