{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Daniel Thatcher | image = D Thatcher (cropped).JPG | caption = Thatcher in 2014 | office = Member of the Utah Senate | constituency = 12th district (2011–2023)<br>11th district (2023–2025) | term_start = January 1, 2011 | term_end = December 12, 2025 | predecessor = Brent H. Goodfellow | successor = Emily Buss | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|07|12}}<ref name="PVS"/> | birth_place = West Valley City, Utah, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Forward (since 2025) | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = | profession = | website = | other_party = Republican (2010–2025) }}

'''Daniel W. Thatcher'''<ref name="PVS">{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/121189 |title= Daniel Thatcher's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |accessdate= February 6, 2014}}</ref> (born July 12, 1976) is an American politician who served as a member of the Utah State Senate from 2011 to 2025. He was a member of the Republican caucus from then until he registered with the Forward Party in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/03/07/utah-senator-dan-thatcher-leaving-republican-party-joining-utah-forward-party/ |title= Utah senator announces he's leaving the Republican party, joining Utah Forward Party |date= March 7, 2025 |publisher= Utah News Dispatch |location= Salt Lake City, Utah |accessdate= June 11, 2025}}</ref> He represented District 11 and, prior to redistricting, District 12.

==Personal life, education, and career== Thatcher was born and raised in West Valley City.<ref name="facebook">{{cite web |url= https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-W-Thatcher-for-Senate-12/312241228956?id=312241228956&sk=info |title= Daniel Thatcher Facebook |website= Facebook |location= Salt Lake City, Utah |accessdate= April 9, 2014}}</ref> Thatcher's official biography describes him as self-educated.<ref name="senate">{{cite web |url= http://www.utahsenate.org/aspx/senmember.aspx?dist=12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101007040551/http://www.utahsenate.org/aspx/senmember.aspx?dist=12 |url-status= usurped |archive-date= October 7, 2010 |title= Thatcher, Daniel W. |publisher= Utah State Senate |location= Salt Lake City, Utah |accessdate= April 9, 2014}}</ref> His profession is in electronics and low voltage wiring.<ref name="facebook" />

==Political career==

Senator Thatcher began his political pursuits when he co-founded the Salt Lake County Young Republicans. He was the chapter's first chair.<ref name="senate" /> He is also a co-founder of West Side Matters and has held various elected positions in the Salt Lake County Republican Party.<ref name="senate" /> *2010 To challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Brent H. Goodfellow, Thatcher was selected by the Republican convention from two candidates for the November 2, 2010 General election, which he won with 9,432 votes (53.25%) against Senator Goodfellow.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://elections.utah.gov/Media/Default/Documents/Election_Results/General/2010Gen.xls |title= 2010 General Election Results |publisher= Lieutenant Governor of Utah |location= Salt Lake City, Utah |accessdate= February 7, 2014 |archive-date= March 4, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140304164608/http://elections.utah.gov/Media/Default/Documents/Election_Results/General/2010Gen.xls |url-status= dead }}</ref>

During the 2016 Session, Thatcher served on the following committees:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://senate.utah.gov/senators/district12.html|title=District 12 Senator - Utah State Senate|website=senate.utah.gov|access-date=2016-04-01}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> *Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee (Senate Chair) *Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee *Retirement and Independent Entities Appropriations Subcommittee *Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee *Senate Health and Human Services Committee *Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee *Senate Retirement and Independent Entities Committee

In October 2025, Thatcher announced his intent to resign before the beginning of the next legislative session in January 2026.<ref name="KSL OCT2025">{{cite web |last1=Beal-Cvetko |first1=Bridger |last2=Woodruff |first2=Daniel |title=Utah's only third-party member in Legislature to resign before next session |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/51393925/utahs-only-third-party-member-in-legislature-to-resign-before-next-session |website=KSL.com |access-date=23 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251023001157/https://www.ksl.com/article/51393925/utahs-only-third-party-member-in-legislature-to-resign-before-next-session |archive-date=23 October 2025 |language=en |date=22 October 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> To select a successor the Utah Forward Party organized a district-wide election in December 2025; the winner, Emily Buss, was chosen through online approval voting.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McKellar |first1=Katie |title=Utah Forward Party's first-of-its-kind preference poll picks a winner to replace Sen. Thatcher |url=https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/utah-forward-partys-first-its-kind-preference-poll-picks-winner-replace-sen-thatcher |website=newsfromthestates.com |access-date=17 December 2025 |language=en |date=12 December 2025}}</ref>

== Elections ==

=== 2014 === {{Election box begin no change|title=2014 Utah State Senate election District 12}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Daniel Thatcher|votes=8,548|percentage=58.8%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Clare Collard|votes=5,998|percentage=41.2%}} {{Election box end}}

=== 2018 === {{Election box begin no change|title=2018 Utah State Senate election District 12}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Daniel Thatcher|votes=13,835|percentage=50.38%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Clare Collard|votes=12,400|percentage=45.16%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Green Party (US)|candidate=Abrian B. Velarde|votes=1,225|percentage=4.46%}} {{Election box end}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 November 2018 |title=OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR STATE BOARD OF CANVASSERS |url=https://vote.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2018-General-Election-Canvass-1.pdf |access-date=3 July 2025 |website=vote.utah.gov}}</ref>

=== 2022 === {{Election box begin no change|title=Utah's 11th Senate District general election, 2022}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Daniel Thatcher (incumbent)|votes=24680|percentage=100.00%}} {{Election box total no change|votes=24680|percentage=100.00%}} {{Election box hold with party link no change|winner=Republican Party (United States)}} {{Election box end}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Daniel W. Thatcher |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Daniel_W._Thatcher |access-date=2025-07-03 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

== Legislation == === 2016 sponsored bills === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Bill number and Title !! Bill status |- | [http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0094.html S.B. 94 Law Enforcement Use of Body Cameras] || Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 |- | [http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0124.html S.B. 124 Gang Enhancement Provision Amendments] || Governor Signed 3/21/2016 |- | [http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0157.html S.B. 157 Pawnshop Amendments] || Senate/To Governor 3/17/2016 |- |[http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0187.html S.B. 187 Reclassification of Misdemeanors] ||Governor Signed 3/25/2016 |}

=== Notable legislation === In 2015, the School Safety and Crisis Line legislation (SB 175), sponsored by Thatcher and Rep. Steve Eliason, passed the Utah State Legislature designating UNI (University Neuropsychiatric Institute, now Huntsman Mental Health Institute) as the crisis provider and an active commission, chaired out of the attorney general's office, for implementation. Thatcher chose to sponsor the legislation after recognizing the statewide epidemic that had personally impacted him numerous times throughout his life.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2016/01/20/safeut-crisis-safety-tipline-unveiled-for-utah-students/#.WEH_AqIrJE4 |title= SafeUT Crisis, Safety Tipline unveiled for Utah students|date= January 20, 2016}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://senate.utah.gov/sen/THATCDW/ Senator Thatcher] at the Utah State Senate web site{{CongLinks | congbio = | votesmart = 121189 | fec = | congress = }} *[http://ballotpedia.org/Daniel_W._Thatcher Daniel W. Thatcher] at Ballotpedia *[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=141325 Daniel W. Thatcher] at OpenSecrets *[http://www.votethatcher.com Senator Daniel Thatcher] at Thatcher for Senate 12

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thatcher, Daniel}} Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:People from West Valley City, Utah Category:Republican Party Utah state senators Category:21st-century members of the Utah Legislature Category:Members of the Forward Party (United States) Category:1976 births

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