No Labels Poised to Launch 2024 Campaign, Manchin Voices Support

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) pictured paying respects to World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams in the Capitol Rotunda on July 14, 2022. Tom Williams/Pool/Getty Images

The No Labels political party could launch its own candidate in the 2024 presidential race if President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump are the final contenders for the race.

“If Trump and Biden are the nominees, it’s very likely that No Labels will get access to the ballot and will offer an alternative. If most of the voters don’t want A or B, we have an obligation to give them C,” former Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, co-chair of No Labels, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday. “I think we’re at a point that we’ve never been in this country where two-thirds of the people are not interested in voting for the Republican or Democratic nominee.”

“An overwhelming majority of people are completely fed up with politics. They think Washington is broken,” he added.

According to a survey of eight battleground states conducted by No Labels and released earlier this month, 63 percent of respondents are “open to a moderate independent” candidate in the 2024 race.

The survey, conducted among 9,418 voters, found that 72 percent didn’t want Biden to run in the election while 63 percent did not prefer Trump.

Sixty-nine percent extended support to No Labels on the ballot. The survey was conducted in the eight battleground states of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

When asked about whether No Labels entering the 2024 presidential race would siphon off votes from Biden and boost Trump’s chances, Mr. Hogan replied, “No.”

“That’s the Democratic talking points because they’re scared to death about this potential opportunity. But uh no, they [No Labels nominee] would only be in it to win it and they would pull just as many votes from Donald Trump as Joe Biden,” Mr. Hogan said.

Though No Labels has not indicated who their 2024 presidential candidate could be, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is rumored to be a potential choice. Mr. Manchin has been considering leaving the Democratic Party, becoming an independent. He has worked with No Labels for many years.

In a recent interview with John Catsimatidis at the “Cat’s Roundtable” program on WABC 770AM radio, Mr. Manchin commended No Labels for seeking to provide voters options other than the two established parties.

The presidential ticket pushed forward by No Labels is “going to be a former Democrat, former Republican probably, at the top of their ticket, showing that you can bring this country together by governing together—not by condemning the other side, which is what they do now” he said.

“If you’re a Democrat, they expect you to villainize every Republican. And if you’re a Republican, you should villainize the Democrats.”

No Labels Ballot Access

According to an Aug. 14 press release by No Labels, the organization has already secured ballot access in ten U.S. States—Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah.

“The No Labels movement winning ballot access in 10 states is a milestone and there are many more to come,” said former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory, National Co-Chair of No Labels.

Vic Newinski—a retiree at the No Labels event. Shar Adams/The Epoch Times

“The American people so clearly want more choices on the ballot in 2024. Our message of commonsense resonates in communities across the nation.”

No Labels plans to determine whether to move forward with its Unity ticket sometime between the Super Tuesday presidential primary elections on March 5, 2024, and the No Labels Convention in Dallas on April 14–15, 2024.

In a July 29 press release, No Labels stated that it intends to get on the ballots of all 50 states plus Washington D.C.

“Local parties and partisan election officials have filed baseless lawsuits, invented spurious charges, and delayed certification without justification in Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina,” it said.

“A new well-resourced group, organized under the name ‘Citizens to Save our Republic,’ has embarked on an effort to pressure No Labels and its members to abandon our ballot access effort.”

Harmful For Democrats?

Democrats insist that No Labels could harm the chances of President Biden winning the 2024 race.

The Arizona Democratic Party earlier filed a lawsuit seeking to stop No Labels from appearing on ballots in the state after Secretary of State Adrian Fontes granted official recognition to the organization in March.

Former President Donald Trump leaves the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Arizona Democrats argued that there were technical issues with No Labels’ signature gathering process. However, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled this month that No Labels can stay on the 2024 ballot in the state.

No Labels dismisses the accusations that it would act as a spoiler in the upcoming election. It points out that a spoiler candidate is someone who has no shot at winning and attracts votes disproportionately from one of the two major parties.

However, “No Labels will NEVER nominate candidates like this because an independent Unity Ticket would, by definition, appeal to the vast middle of the country and draw votes from across the political spectrum,” the group says on its website.

It pointed out that the last time an independent candidate tried to secure votes from the “vast middle” of the American electorate was in 1992 when Ross Perot ran for the presidency.

However, his run did not provide any “measurable advantage” to either Democrats or Republicans at the time, the organization stated.

“The spoiler charge is being peddled by people who want to scare the public, sow doubts, and limit Americans’ choice at the ballot box.”