Third party cofounder and former New Jersey governor visits Corrales

CORRALES — A founding member of a growing political party visited Corrales on Tuesday, the inaugural event for Forward Party organizing efforts in New Mexico.

The Forward Party was founded two years ago by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, former Republican New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Michael Willner, a former Libertarian. The party is officially recognized as a minor party in five states, has 47 elected officials, and aims to be a major party nationally by 2028. In New Mexico, groups that worked on election reform efforts are trying to gather enough signatures to get minor party status for the Forward Party.

For many years, Whitman was convinced the U.S. would always be a two-party system, she told approximately 20 people gathered in the Historic Old San Ysidro Church. But now she’s convinced the major parties benefit from existing political dysfunction and don’t want to change it.

“I saw how impossible it was to change the Republican Party from inside, and Andrew was seeing the same thing with the Democratic Party. And I’d had two different organizations that I started that were aimed at centrist Republicans and trying to build up, and the party leaders had it just the way they wanted,” Whitman told the Journal.

Over 300,000 New Mexico voters, 23%, are registered independent or decline to state as of March 2025. The Democratic Party leads registrations, with 43% of registered voters in the state, followed by Republicans, who make up 32% of registered voters. Those advocating for independent and third party voters gained a win in the most recent legislative session with a bill that opened primaries to independent voters.

The Forward Party is focused on local elections, Whitman said, and does not require its candidates to align with the party on a broad range of issues. Instead, their candidates have to pledge to follow the rule of law, respect the Constitution, work with anyone to solve problems, create a safe space to discuss controversial issues, and ensure everyone legally able to vote can do so.

In New Mexico, informal polling on social media indicates open primaries are a top issue for people interested in becoming part of the third party, followed by education and the environment, said New Mexico Forward Party Chair Bob Perls, a former Democratic state legislator who founded nonprofit New Mexico Open Elections.

“The other thing that’s been expressed strongly is simply putting kids at the center of our agenda: kids’ welfare, education, taking care of kids, holding parents responsible, those kinds of policy issues,” Perls said.

The Forward Party in New Mexico — not yet a minor party that can be on a ballot — endorsed candidates for the state Legislature in 2024 who said they would support the open primary bill. Some of those now elected legislators did not ultimately support the bill, and the Forward Party will be fielding candidates to oppose them, Perls said.

“New Mexico is a one-party state,” he said. “We need competition of ideas. Republicans really don’t seem to be a viable loyal opposition party, and so in short order, we hope to be the second party of the state.”

This is the moment for a third party, Whitman said, pointing to a dramatic spike in internet traffic to the Forward Party website and dissatisfaction with the major political parties.

“If we don’t start voting now, I am very afraid that we’re going to lose our democracy,” Whitman said.