Tim DeFoor from Pa. withdraws from cooperation with Andrew Yang’s “Forward Party”.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s top fiscal watchdog was set to become the nation’s top official this week to align himself with the centrist Forward Party until he withdrew at the last minute.

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

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

Forward organizers want it to one day become a separate political party and have begun putting their own candidates forward in hopes of achieving that goal. However, they also try to support candidates – regardless of their political affiliation – who share the values ​​of compromise and civility.

DeFoor, in a statement, said he appreciates all support from across the political spectrum but is “wary of any direct affiliations with outside parties that could be misrepresented or misunderstood by others.”

“I am a lifelong Republican and I am proud to run for re-election on the Republican ticket,” DeFoor added.

DeFoor will face state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) in the November election. Kenyatta was one of President Joe Biden’s early supporters in Pennsylvania in 2020 and continues to be a fixture on his campaign.

But DeFoor’s decision to withdraw highlights the challenge these so-called pro-democracy groups face in trying to build a legitimate third option in the country’s two-party system. It also illustrates the role that party loyalty plays in maintaining a candidate’s support, rather than through cross-appeals.

“Unfortunately, due to the influence that the two incumbent parties now have over our system of governance, the good people caught in this system do not have the freedom to serve a broader base of their constituents,” Forward CEO Lindsey Drath said in a statement.

Several other elected officials in Pennsylvania They joined the Assault Party, including state Sens. Anthony H. Williams (D., Philadelphia) and Lisa Boscola (D., Lehigh). The party is also running its own candidates in the races for attorney general and treasurer – in hopes of receiving 2% of the vote in November, which would allow it to be recognized as a minority party in Pennsylvania for the next four years.

According to Pennsylvania Department of State voter data, more than 1.3 million registered voters in Pennsylvania are registered with or unaffiliated with a third party.