Former US Democrats and Republicans form third party

LOS ANGELES • Dozens of former Republican and Democratic officials announced a new national political third party to appeal to voters whom they say are dismayed by what they see as the United States' dysfunctional two-party system.

The new party, called Forward, will initially be co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Ms Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey.

They hope the party will become a viable alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties that dominate politics in the US, founding members said.

Party leaders will hold a series of events in two dozen cities this autumn to roll out its platform and attract support.

They will host an official launch in Houston on Sept 24 and the party's first national convention in a major US city next summer.

The new party is being formed through a merger of three political groups that have emerged in recent years as a reaction to America's increasingly polarised and gridlocked political system.

The leaders cited a Gallup poll last year showing a record two-thirds of Americans believe a third party is needed.

The merger involves the Renew America Movement, formed last year by dozens of former officials in the Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump; the Forward Party, founded by Mr Yang, who left the Democratic Party last year and became an independent; and the Serve America Movement, a group of Democrats, Republicans and independents whose executive director is former Republican congressman David Jolly.

Two pillars of the new party's platform are to "reinvigorate a fair, flourishing economy" and to "give Americans more choices in elections, more confidence in a government that works, and more say in our future". The party, which is centrist, has no specific policies yet.

It was expected to say at its launch yesterday: "How will we solve the big issues facing America? Not Left. Not Right. Forward."

Historically, third parties have failed to thrive in America's two-party system. Occasionally they can impact a presidential election.

Analysts say the Green Party's Ralph Nader siphoned off enough votes from Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000 to help the Republican George W. Bush win the White House.

It is unclear how Forward might impact either party's electoral prospects in such a deeply polarised country. Political analysts are sceptical it can succeed.

Public reaction on Twitter was swift. Many Democrats on the social media platform expressed fear that the new party will siphon more votes away from the Democrats, rather than the Republicans, and end up helping Republicans in close races.

Forward aims to gain party registration and ballot access in 30 states by the end of next year and in all 50 states by late 2024, in time for the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.

It aims to field candidates for local races, such as school boards and city councils, in state houses, the US Congress and all the way up to the presidency.

In an interview, Mr Yang said the party will start with a budget of about US$5 million (S$7 million). It has donors lined up and a grassroots membership between the three merged groups numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

REUTERS