The third-party organization No Labels held a virtual 800-person caucus on Friday where members voted to move forward with forming a presidential ticket to challenge President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
While the vote reaffirms No Labels’ long-running project, it’s still unclear what comes next. No official ticket was announced at that meeting, but the group said it was moving forward with discussions with potential candidates.
“They voted unanimously to proceed with our 2024 project and move immediately to identify candidates for the presidency of the Commonwealth. Each of our delegates had their own explanation for wanting to move forward,” said No Labels convention chairman Mike Rawlings.
The organization said in a statement that it will “expedite” contact with candidates and announce the process of how candidates will be selected on March 14.
A number of people discussed as potential No Labels candidates have ruled themselves out. Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., announced last month that he would not run for the White House, although he is currently on a listening tour speaking to voters across the country. Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, recently launched a campaign for the Senate in his home state.
No Labels chief strategist Ryan Clancy said, “No Label has picked up a ticket yet, and any names floating around are being put there by someone else.”
While discussion of potential candidates continues, No Labels is still working toward its goal of getting on the ballot in all 50 states for the fall.
Their organization has No Labels on the ballot in 16 states, including Arizona and Nevada.
No Labels was not founded in 2010 to promote bipartisanship in Washington, but has made a dramatic U-turn ahead of the 2024 election by announcing that it will run a “unity ticket” for president as an alternative to the major parties.
With so many Americans dissatisfied with any of the presidential choices and disenchanted with the politics prevalent among voters, the time is ripe for another option, they argue.
Indeed, 2024 has been a highly productive crop of high-profile third-party presidential efforts, including those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and civil rights activist Cornel West, in addition to No Labels and the familiar Libertarian and Green Party tickets.
Kennedy is currently working on his own ballot access mission across the country. He’s currently on the ballot in Utah, and even though he’s facing a campaign finance complaint, he’s actively collecting and submitting signatures for many others. improper coordination With super PAC American Values 2024 in this effort.
No Labels’ foray into presidential politics has alienated some former officials, donors and allies, particularly among Democrats who worry that any third-party candidate will simply draw anti-Trump votes from Biden.
No Labels has not denied the claims and said it would only support a third-party slate if there was a realistic chance of winning. The organization vowed to suspend its operation if the data showed that the candidate would be a mere spoiler.
But most of No Labels’ decisions have been kept secret, like its donors, and officials have occasionally issued contradictory statements, making it difficult for outsiders to understand its methods and motivations.