A centrist political group has pledged to create an alternative option for voters in the 2024 election, stoking concerns among left-leaning groups that a “spoiler” candidate could open the door for former President Donald Trump to return to the White House.
No Labels has emerged as a nationwide group actively courting centrists in both parties who could make up a 2024 presidential “unity ticket” that offers an alternative to “divisive” candidates. The group has described these efforts as an “insurance policy” in the 2024 presidential election, vowing to drop its bid if either party manages to provide a candidate whom centrist voters can accept.
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The group has identified both Trump and President Joe Biden as “unacceptable” nominees, meaning a possible rematch between the two could send their plans into full force. This strategy has prompted pushback from several Democratic groups, which argue a third-party ticket would provide a crucial boost to the GOP.
No Labels has already qualified to appear on the ballot in a handful of states, meaning the party could also upend next year’s Senate race in the state.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far about No Labels and what the group plans to do in the 2024 election cycle.
What is No Labels?
No Labels is a bipartisan political group that supports centrist lawmakers and policies. The group was founded in December 2010 by political activist Nancy Jacobson as a way to promote bipartisan proposals in Congress.
Since its inception, the group helped create the House Problem Solvers Caucus in 2017 and has courted several allies in the Senate. No Labels also has a national network of politicians, with former Maryland Democratic Gov. Larry Hogan being elected as its co-chairman in 2020.
No Labels characterizes itself as being more representative of the typical voter compared to either political party, pointing to national polling that shows only 16% of people consider themselves either “very conservative” or “very liberal,” according to Gallup. The group’s mission is to further unity between political parties in order to “rebuild our country.”
“We seek to restore America’s faith that democracy remains the best means to bring out the good in every one of us, thus ensuring a brighter future for generations to come,” the group writes on its website.
What is the platform for No Labels?
No Labels released its official platform over the weekend titled the “Common Sense Policy.”
The Common Sense platform includes 30 proposals to “tackle America’s greatest challenges,” including the budget, energy, immigration, inflation, education, gender identity, gun control, and abortion. The platform seeks to bridge political divides by proposing bipartisan solutions rather than leaning toward one party over the other, according to the group.
“We don’t expect any American, candidate, or elected official to agree with every idea in here,” Clancy said. “But we will never solve our problems unless we are first willing to talk to one another. Common Sense shows how the majority of Americans feel about most issues, and we hope it can spur some long overdue conversations about where our nation is headed.”
Where has the group qualified to appear on the ballot?
No Labels has already qualified to appear on the ballot in at least four states: Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, and Oregon. The group has vowed to compete for ballot access in at least 19 other states before the 2024 cycle begins in earnest.
Who would No Labels recruit for its ticket?
No Labels has been quietly working to craft a bipartisan third-party ticket for over a year, looking to give voters an alternative option to candidates it views as extreme. As of September, the group has already raised more than $46 million and has more than 400 volunteers seeking ballot access in several battleground states, according to the New York Times.
No Labels has not indicated who it would endorse for a presidential ticket, but the group said it plans to hold a nominating convention in April should it move forward with its plans for an alternative nominee. Still, several names have emerged as top contenders for the third-party ticket, such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has yet to confirm his plans for the 2024 cycle.
Other names have emerged as possibilities, especially after the group announced its first town hall meeting scheduled for Monday. Manchin will be joined by former Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman as well as a number of other political leaders — raising eyebrows as to whether they’re being courted by the third-party group.
Democratic groups call on No Labels to cease efforts
Several Democrats and Never Trump Republicans are calling on No Labels to cease its efforts to create a third-party ticket, warning such a move would open the door for Trump or a MAGA-aligned candidate to be elected.
Third Way, a prominent Democratic-backed think tank, sent a memo to Democratic groups warning of No Labels’s efforts and outlining the ways in which a third-party ticket would tank the Democrats’ chances of keeping the White House in 2024.
“The bottom line: Their candidate cannot win the presidency [and] such a candidate ‘will succeed in electing Trump,’” the group wrote.
The center-left Third Way pointed to evidence showing third-party candidates typically do poorly in general elections, arguing that No Labels would not have a large enough base of support to win.
“Moreover, No Labels casts Biden and Trump as equally extreme and frames their ticket as an antidote to a rematch. But this is a smokescreen,” it wrote. “They’ll make it far more likely — if not certain — that Donald Trump returns to the White House.”
Bipartisan efforts to squash No Labels
Another bipartisan group of former lawmakers is planning to thwart No Labels, arguing its plan would disproportionately siphon votes away from Biden and pave the way for Trump to return to the White House. That group commissioned polling of voters in a handful of key swing states that show a third-party candidate would all but guarantee a Trump return to the White House.
The numbers show that in a hypothetical rematch between Biden and Trump, the president would win reelection by 3 percentage points, according to polling by Prime Group obtained by the Washington Examiner. However, when a “moderate, independent, third-party candidate” is introduced to the mix, the results favor Trump by roughly 2 points.
However, in both cases, there remains a substantial percentage of voters who remain undecided. In the case of a three-way race between Biden, Trump, and a third option, about 21% of voters say they remain undecided — which No Labels says provides an “unprecedented opening” for the third-party candidate to win.
No Labels vows to drop effort if Trump loses GOP primary
Much of No Labels’s efforts so far have focused on plans to defeat Trump should he win the Republican nomination. However, the group vowed that if Trump loses the GOP primary, it would likely drop its bid altogether.
Ryan Clancy, chief strategist for No Labels, told the Washington Examiner last month there is a “pretty big universe of voters” who like Trump’s policies but do not necessarily want to vote for the former president. Those voters are likely not to turn up to vote, according to data compiled by No Labels — which would “close off the potential path for an independent ticket,” Clancy said.
“So, we’re not making a subjective judgment on Ron DeSantis is or is not better, worse, conservative, less conservative than Trump or any other. What we’re doing is sticking to the plan we’ve had from the very beginning, which is: This is only worth doing if you think you can win,” Clancy said. “And today, the data is telling us it looks like it’d be a really steep road for an independent to win if it’s a Republican other than Trump.”
“Unity ticket” could give Kyrsten Sinema boost in Arizona
The No Labels Party surpassed the minimum number of signatures required to appear on the ballot for statewide and federal races in Arizona on Tuesday, making it the second state the centrist party can compete in during the 2024 cycle.
Although No Labels has focused much of its efforts on the presidential election, some are beginning to wonder whether the group will play a role in reelecting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
The Democrat-turned-independent will face an uphill battle if she chooses to seek a second term, as the incumbent would need to join a three-way race in which a Democratic challenger could siphon votes away from her in the increasingly purple state.
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Who funds No Labels?
The group has come under intense scrutiny for its policy not to disclose its donors, noting it’s “because we live in an era where agitators and partisan operatives try to destroy and intimidate organizations they don’t like by attacking their individual supporters.”
The group also argued it has faced violent threats online, noting it would not “subject the thousands of patriotic and principled people who support us to that kind of treatment.”
