Arizona election officials determined that the centrist No Labels Party cannot prevent candidates from running on its platform even without approval from party leadership. The order from the office of Arizona Secretary of State Adrain Fontes comes amid an ongoing effort to force the third-party group to disclose its anonymous donors over fears that the organization is secretly a Republican-run operation.
The No Labels Party bills itself as a refuge for the “politically homeless” who have grown tired of “extremist” views on the Left and Right. The party has successfully gained access to presidential ballots in 11 states after a series of recent legal battles, with Arizona numbering among the latest victories. As Valuetainment previously reported, No Labels also successfully recruited more than 15,000 Arizona voters to the idea of a “unity ticket” in 2024, surpassing President Joe Biden’s 2020 margin of victory (10,457 votes) in the key swing state.
With the No Labels Party on track to gain ballot access in all 50 states by election day, Democratic Party leadership has become increasingly concerned that the third-party option could spoil the 2024 election in former President Donald Trump’s favor. Taking it a step further, the disgraced anti-Trump Republican strategists at the Lincoln Project floated the idea that the entire movement is a con game being supported by supporters of Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
No Labels is con game. Ron DeSantis’ own large donors are also backing No Labels. They know exactly what they’re doing – anything possible to keep the door wide open for a second Trump presidency.https://t.co/JEEgPAYnhP
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 15, 2023
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No Labels leadership has denied these allegations, but its list of primary donors has still been kept anonymous based on protections afforded by federal law.
Last week, a senior official for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes rejected No Labels’ efforts to block two candidates from filing to run on the party’s platform without its official support. According to Fontes’ office, No Labels is obligated to accept the “statements of interest” from any qualified candidates. “The Arizona Secretary of State disagrees with your assertion that a newly recognized political party can choose to deprive its own voters of their constitutionally protected freedom of association,” State Elections Director Colleen Connor wrote, according to the Associated Press.
This decision came one week before President Biden visited Arizona to deliver a speech commemorating late Arizona Senator John McCain. The endorsement of McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, contributed to his narrow victory in the state in 2020. With a third-party challenge threatening his ability to win the swing state for a second time, Biden’s visit likely served a dual purpose.
No Labels is promising to sue in response to the decision, citing the fact that one of the candidates in question is a Biden supporter who only filed with the party to force a disclosure of its donors. Party leadership has further argued that it is not obligated to disclose private information to a state government because it only wants to run for federal offices. “Political pressure dictated the writing of this letter, not the law,” said a statement from No Labels leadership. “The Secretary of State’s one-page letter is not a serious response to the request by the No Labels Party of Arizona.”
As its challenge to the Arizona ruling continues, No Labels is also laying the groundwork for a $70 million third-party presidential race, with a decision regarding a candidate to be made after Super Tuesday in March.
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