The seemingly impossible task of forming a viable third political party to rival the two-party system in the U.S. is once again being widely discussed. And Andrew Yang knows the struggle all too well.
The former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate launched the Forward Party in 2022, expressing a keenness to create a space for the “common-sense majority.”
“The United States badly needs a new political party—one that reflects the moderate, common-sense majority. Today’s outdated parties have failed by catering to the fringes. As a result, most Americans feel they aren’t represented,” Yang said alongside other Forward Party members in an op-ed for the Washington Post in 2022.
“A new party must stake out the space in between. On every issue facing this nation—from the controversial to the mundane—we can find a reasonable approach most Americans agree on.”
But it’s not the Forward Party that is dominating conversation in and outside of Washington, D.C., at the moment. Instead, it’s Elon Musk’s America party, of which he announced the formation of on July 5. In a post shared on his social media platform, X, Musk told his more than 220 million following: “The America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
Musk has yet to disclose any specific proposed policies or state what the core tenets of his party would be, but he has expressed an eagerness to continue the mission he worked on as lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by prioritizing cutting, what he perceives to be, wasteful spending within the government and reducing the country’s deficit. In his continued opposition against President Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill, which was signed on July 4, Musk has also seemingly committed to campaigning against any Republicans who showed support and voted for said bill.
Read More: Musk Announces New ‘America Party Is Formed,’ Cementing Split From Trump and Republicans
As for how he plans to gain “independence from the two-party system,” Musk has expressed an intention to maintain a “laser-focus on just two or three Senate seats and eight to 10 House districts” for his party.
Critics, led by Trump himself—Musk’s one-time ally—have been quick to point out that third parties have historically struggled to compete with the two-party system. Trump referred to Musk’s aspirations as “ridiculous” and said the “one thing third parties are good for is the creation of complete and total disruption and chaos.”
But not everybody has been so bleak in their responses. Yang has proven to be a vocal supporter of Musk’s move to establish a third party within the U.S. political spectrum, and is seemingly keen to help Musk succeed where he may have struggled.
Here’s what to know about the political party founder:
Yang’s stint as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020
Born and raised in New York to Taiwanese parents, Yang, 50, spent the early part of his career as a businessman and entrepreneur.
He studied political science and economics at Brown University, followed by a law degree at Columbia. After working in business enterprise, Yang was named a Champion of Change by former President Barack Obama in 2012 for a fellowship program that sent top college graduates to work at start-up companies in economically-challenged cities across the U.S.
After filing the necessary paperwork to run as a Democratic candidate for President in November 2017, Yang began to share his ambitions, with his platform largely focused on protecting jobs from the rapidly-growing robotics and technology industry.
His campaign slogan “Humanity First” demonstrated just that.
“I’m running for President to wake up America to the fact that it’s not immigrants or globalization, but this technology that is transforming our way of life,” Yang told Quartz during his campaign.
Yang was also a strong advocate for universal basic income. The entrepreneur said that he would provide $1,000 monthly to Americans aged 18 to 64. “This would improve Americans’ nutrition and health, mental health, relationships, and stress levels. It would create millions of jobs around the country. It would be a catalyst for entrepreneurship and creativity,” he argued.
Despite his ambition, Yang called an end to his campaign after defeat in the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, in which Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont emerged victorious. Yang finished 8th in terms of voter share, gaining just 2.8% of the count.
“Endings are hard and I’ve always had the intention to stay in this race… I am the math guy, and it’s clear from the numbers we’re not going to win this campaign,” he told his supporters in February 2020 as the results came through.
Read More: Neither Party Has Faced an X Factor Like Elon Musk
The formation of the Forward Party
In July 2022, Yang joined forces with former Republican Governor for New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman to establish the Forward Party as a third political party. Forward was officially formed as a political action committee (PAC) in 2021 and the party was announced in Yang’s book, Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy.
The party launched with a clear message: “How will we solve the big issues facing America? Not Left. Not Right. Forward.”
The party claims that 60% of American voters want a new political party, and puts itself forward as a possible solution. Amongst the centrist party’s key values are respecting the rule of law, building “from the bottom up,” and protecting individual liberties.
Another push from the Forward Party includes voting reform and promoting alternatives to the current voter system in place for most federal and state elections.
The Forward Party has advocated for methods such as ranked choice voting, which it argues “improves fairness in elections by allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just cast a single vote.”
This method was recently used to elect Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic candidate for the New York Mayoral election.
Despite its ambition, the Forward Party has seemingly struggled to gain a strong momentum or presence in U.S. politics. Utah state Senator Daniel Thatcher is the only elected official in the U.S. to represent the party after switching from the Republican Party in March.
But the Forward Party has remained adamant in its messaging that it wants to change the traditional political structure in the U.S. With Musk’s recent announcement of his own venture, Yang’s party has been a vocal advocate.
“We welcome the growing realization that the two-party system isn’t working and that the majority of Americans want more choices and more accountability… We encourage all new, Independent movements to prioritize healthy reform and real solutions above all else. Not Left. Not Right. Forward,” the party said on Monday.
What has Yang said about Musk and his America Party ambitions?
Since Musk initially floated the idea of forming a new political party, Yang has been vocal in his support for Musk’s challenge to the two-party system.
In June, Yang expressed an eagerness to join forces with Musk in some capacity.
“Elon has built world-class companies from nothing more than an idea multiple times, and in this instance, you have the vast majority of Americans who are hungry for a new approach,” Yang said in an interview with Politico. “I’m happy to spell it out for Elon, or anyone else who wants to head down this road. A third party can succeed very quickly.”
On July 6, after Musk renewed his intention to form the America Party, Yang said: “Anyone who wants to bust up the duopoly has the right idea.”
Yang has since confirmed that he has been in touch with Musk and his team regarding the new rival party.
“I’m excited for anyone who wants to move on from the duopoly… And I’m happy to help give someone a sense of what the path looks like,” he told Politico on Monday.
On the same day, Yang doubled down on his stance, posting again on social media: “If it breaks the duopoly, I’m all for it.”
TIME has reached out to Yang and Musk for comment and further information regarding them connecting over the America Party.
It’s not out of the question that if support from Yang continues, a potential collaboration could begin, or perhaps even a merger.
Forward has done this before. As part of its founding as a party in 2022, the Forward PAC merged with the Renew America Movement, made up of former Republican officials, and the Serve America Movement, a group of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The groups merged to create the official Forward Party in its current form.
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