Pa.’s auditor general was going to be highest-ranking official affiliating with Andrew Yang’s Forward Party. Then he backed out

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s top fiscal watchdog was set to become the highest-ranking official in the nation to affiliate with the centrist Forward Party this week, until he backed out at the last minute.

Republican Auditor General Tim DeFoor, who is seeking a second term in November’s election, was going to announce his affiliation — but not a formal party change — with the Forward Party at an event in Harrisburg on Wednesday, changing his mind earlier this week.

The Forward Party was created by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. It’s one of several organizations seeking to combat the country’s political polarization.

Forward organizers aspire for it to be its own political party one day and have begun to run their own Forward candidates in hopes of achieving that goal. But they’ve also sought to endorse candidates — regardless of their political affiliation — who align with the values of compromise and civility.

DeFoor, in a statement, said he appreciates any endorsements from across the political spectrum, but was “leery of any direct affiliation with outside parties which could be misrepresented or misconstrued by others.”

“I am a lifelong Republican and am proud to stand for reelection on the Republican ticket,” DeFoor added.

DeFoor will face State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) in November’s election. Kenyatta was one of President Joe Biden’s earliest supporters in Pennsylvania in 2020 and continues to be a surrogate for his campaign.

But DeFoor’s decision to withdraw shows the challenge these so-called pro-democracy groups face when trying to build a legitimate third option in the nation’s two-party system. And it illustrates the role party loyalty plays in maintaining support from a candidate’s base, rather than cross-aisle appeals.

“Unfortunately, because of the stranglehold the two legacy parties currently have on our system of governance, good people caught in this system aren’t given the freedom to serve a wider group of their constituents,” said Forward’s CEO Lindsey Drath in a statement.

A few other Pennsylvania elected officials have affiliated with the Forward Party, including State Sens. Anthony H. Williams (D., Philadelphia) and Lisa Boscola (D., Lehigh). The party is also running its own candidates in the attorney general and treasurer races — in hopes of getting 2% of the vote in November so they could gain minor party recognition in Pennsylvania for the next four years.

More than 1.3 million registered voters in Pennsylvania are registered to a third party or not affiliated, according to voter data from the Pennsylvania Department of State.