Episode #19
The Forward Party Podcast EP19 - Elizabeth Dionne and Emily Buss on Governing Across Party Lines
The Forward Party Podcast EP19 brings together Elizabeth Dionne and Utah State Senator Emily Buss to explore what independent-minded leadership looks like when the goal is to govern, solve problems, and work across party lines. Both describe an approach centered on listening, practical results, and good governance. Elizabeth Dionne joins the conversation while running for Massachusetts state treasurer on the Republican ballot line. Drawing on local government experience in Belmont, she explains why she entered statewide politics, ballot access, and what she hears from voters. She discusses transparency, accountability, public records, external audits, affordability, taxes, local aid, and the fiscal pressures facing cities and towns. Elizabeth’s experience shows how local government can create space for people with different political views to work toward shared outcomes. She describes reforms involving budgeting, pension investments, zoning, commercial development, and business access. Her approach is grounded in the idea that communities can make progress when leaders work from shared facts rather than partisan assumptions. Elizabeth also talks about the difficulty of building trust with voters who have become skeptical of political promises. She explains why her record in local government matters to her campaign and why she believes transparency and accountability should be central responsibilities for elected officials. The episode also examines proposals for voter choice. The second half features Emily Buss, a Utah State Senator who ran on the Forward Party ballot line and became the only Forward member serving in the Utah State Senate. Emily describes entering public office with no prior political experience and learning to navigate a partisan institution through listening. Emily talks with constituents, subject matter experts, stakeholders, teachers, workers, and community members before making decisions. She emphasizes hearing directly from people affected by legislation and understanding unintended consequences. Emily also discusses working with Republicans and Democrats in the Utah Capitol. She describes building relationships through everyday interactions and focusing on getting the work done. The conversation explores collegiality , bridge building, and serving effectively without treating every issue as a partisan contest. Topics covered in this episode include: Independent leadership and governing across party lines Massachusetts ballot access, transparency, and accountability Fiscal responsibility, taxes, affordability, and local aid Local government reform and long-term budgeting Emily Buss’s experience in the Utah State Senate Listening to constituents and subject matter experts Open primaries and broader voter choice Data center energy and water efficiency standards Property taxes and the cost of everyday essentials Throughout the episode, Elizabeth and Emily offer two perspectives on independent governance : one campaigning for statewide office and one serving inside a state legislature. Their stories provide a practical look at political leadership outside traditional party expectations. Whether you are interested in independent politics, political reform, state government, civic engagement, or how elected officials can work with people who disagree with them, this conversation offers a detailed discussion of what governing beyond party lines can look like in practice. Listen to the full episode of The Forward Party Podcast and join the conversation about how politics can focus more on people, problem solving, transparency, and good governance. Share the episode with someone interested in independent leadership and follow the podcast for more conversations with candidates, elected officials, and people working to change how government operates. Engage with the Forward Party and its hosts through the podcast’s social channels and online community beyond this episode.
