SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Daniel Thatcher, the only member of the Utah Forward Party in the Utah Legislature, announced his resignation late Tuesday, saying he plans to step down ahead of the general legislative session that starts in January.

A former Republican who lives in West Valley City and represents a large district covering the west side of the Salt Lake Valley and other parts of the state, Thatcher was a frequent voice of dissent within the GOP Senate caucus and a thorn in the side of majority leadership before he left the party for the new Utah Forward Party in March.

The Utah Forward Party will now move forward to select Thatcher’s replacement in accordance with state law, leaders said Wednesday. Thatcher would have been up for reelection next year, so the replacement will se

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