After more than 14 years in the Utah Senate, which saw him defy his Republican Party leaders and eventually leave the party entirely, Sen. Daniel Thatcher abruptly announced Tuesday he will be stepping down.

Thatcher, a member of the Utah Forward Party since March, made his announcement on social media Tuesday night, saying that he was stepping aside before the upcoming legislative session in order to give his constituents “the best outcome.”

Recently, Thatcher had dealt with the aftereffects of a stroke suffered in 2022 that tested his ability to sustain his work as a senator.

His departure from the body will, it appears, give the fledgling Utah Forward Party, which has just over 2,100 registered members, its first opportunity to select a state senator.

Thatcher won his first election

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