The Forward Party is getting some representation on the ballot this year in Newtown in the form of incumbent Police Commission member and former Republican Neil Chaudhary.

The minor party was formed from three different political groups from across the political spectrum — former Democrat Andrew Yang’s Forward Party; the Renew America Movement (RAM), a group of Republicans in opposition to former President Donald Trump led by former New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman; and the Serve America Movement (SAM), a centrist group that Newtown’s First Selectman Dan Rosenthal joined in 2021.

In an interview with The Newtown Bee, Whitman described the Forward Party as a party focused on local and state elections, and not seeking national positions such as the presidency, at least not yet. Each member has to sign a pledge to say how they’ll behave in office, to uphold the law and the Constitution, to work with anyone regardless of political party, and to work to ensure that politics benefit everyone.

They support ranked choice voting and a few other initiatives, but for the most part have no set platform, with each individual candidate free to choose their own positions when running for office.

The three parties that merged were each “trying to do their own thing,” according to Whitman, but it didn’t end up “making sense” for the groups to go it alone. The merger hopes to bring the parties together in a bipartisan fashion with a “focus on serving people.”

With a more local focus, Whitman noted that groups like the Police Commission, Board of Education, Legislative Council, and other local boards “make decisions that make an immediate impact on residents.”

“That’s where we want to focus,” said Whitman.

Whitman said there are 700,000 elected officers in the country, but 70 percent of those were uncontested in the last election, and another five to ten percent of offices were not filled.

“We say that everyone should have a choice in elections for every office, and that all offices should be filled,” said Whitman.

In Connecticut, there are currently seven Forward-associated candidates, Chaudhary and six others, all located in Stonington.

Of Chaudhary, Whitman said he was “the kind of candidate” she wants to see in the Forward Party.

“He doesn’t play partisan politics and takes up issues as he sees them, not his party,” said Whitman. “He always does the best for the people.”

Looking at Chaudhary’s history as a police commissioner, Whitman said he has a “strong background in balancing issues.”

“[Chaudhary] has worked with many law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and across the country,” said Whitman. “He brings no political bias to the police commission.”

Whitman said that voters should focus on who is the best candidate and what they stand for, not for the letter after their name denoting their political affiliation.

Whitman also submitted a letter to The Newtown Bee’s “Letter Hive” this week, endorsing Chaudhary.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.