The centrist No Labels Party successfully recruited more than 15,000 voters in Arizona, raising the possibility of a bipartisan “unity ticket” in the 2024 presidential election. Now eligible to appear on the ballot in 11 states, the No Labels Party reportedly has Democratic Party leadership worried about a third-party challenge that could cost President Joe Biden his marginal lead over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
No Labels, which bills itself as a refuge for the “politically homeless” who have grown “tired of the extreme views on the left and the right,” has made significant progress towards becoming a viable alternative to the established Republican and Democratic Parties. Late last month, North Carolina became the eleventh state to grant the party official status, allowing voters to register with the party and candidates to run on its platform. No Labels had previously added Arizona to that list as well after a lengthy court battle against state Democrats over the summer.
The No Labels Party now appears on the ballot in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah. Organizers say the party is on track to reach 20 states by the end of the year and all 50 by election day, according to the Associated Press. With this goal in mind, the party is considering nominating a third-party candidate in the event that “unreasonably divisive” candidates like Donald Trump and Joe Biden become the respective Republican and Democrat nominees.
“These are unprecedented times,” said No Labels National Co-Chairman Benjamin Chavis. “Never before has such a large number of Americans expressed their concerns and expressed their views and their aspirations for more choices.”
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The party’s latest efforts in Arizona produced a surge of 15,000 new No Labels voters, with 13,500 coming from the Phoenix and Tucson area. According to a Democratic Party data analyst, this crop of new voters were primarily independents or newly registered. 14% were previously Democrats and 11% were Republicans.
However, the No Labels Party’s progress in the Grand Canyon State has led to growing fear within the Democratic Party, which would be most affected by a third-party challenge. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won Arizona by roughly 10,000 votes, a 0.3% margin that was fiercely challenged by Donald Trump and his campaign team. Heading into an equally contentious election in 2024, Democratic leadership has expressed concern that a No Labels candidate would tip the scales in Trump’s favor.
“If they have someone on the ballot who is designed to bring the country together, that clearly draws votes away from Joe Biden and does not draw votes away from Donald Trump,” said Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod.
Prominent Democrats have accused the No Labels Party of being a Republican “con game” designed to steal voters from Biden and clear a path for Trump’s return to office—accusations the party has fiercely denied. Party founder and CEO Nancy Jacobson has promised that any No Labels candidate would drop out of the race if they begin splitting the vote in one candidate’s favor.
The No Labels Party has not yet announced a nominee for a third-party challenge in 2024, but it has ties to moderates on both sides of the aisle, including Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland.
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