The third-party organization No Labels held a virtual 800-person delegate meeting Friday, where the members voted to move forward with the process of forming a presidential ticket to run in the 2024 election against President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
While the vote reaffirmed No Labels’ longstanding project, it’s still unclear what happens next. An official ticket was not announced at this meeting, but the group says it is moving forward with discussions with potential individuals.
“They voted near unanimously to continue our 2024 project and to move immediately to identify candidates to serve on the Unity presidential ticket. Every one of our delegates had their own explanation for wanting to move ahead,” said No Labels convention chairman Mike Rawlings.
The organization said in a statement that it will be “accelerating” its candidate outreach and announcing a process for how candidates will be selected on March 14.
A number of people discussed as potential No Labels candidates have taken themselves out of the running. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced last month that he would not be seeking a bid for the White House, though he is currently on a listening tour speaking to voters across the country. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, recently launched a campaign for Senate in his state.
And while the discussion of potential candidates is ongoing, No Labels is still working on its goal of getting ballot access in all 50 states for the fall.
No Labels is currently on the ballot in 16 states, their organization says, including key swing states Arizona and Nevada.
No Labels was founded in 2010 to promote bipartisanship in Washington, but it took a dramatic turn in the runup to the 2024 election by announcing it would put forward a “unity ticket” for president as an alternative to the major parties.
With most Americans unhappy with either of their likely choices for president and frustration with politics rampant among voters, the time is ripe for another option, they argue.
Indeed, 2024 has seen a bumper crop of high-profile third-party presidential efforts, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and civil rights activist Cornel West, in addition to No Labels and the familiar Libertarian and Green Party tickets.
No Labels’ entry into presidential politics alienated some former officials, donors, and allies, especially among Democrats, who worry that any third party candidate will just syphon anti-Trump votes away from Biden.
No Labels has denied those allegations, saying it would only support a third-party slate if it had a real chance of winning. The organization has have vowed to halt its activities if data suggests its candidate would be a mere spoiler.
But most of No Labels’ decision-making has been kept private, as have its donors, and officials have occasionally made contradictory statements, making it difficult for people outside the organization to understand its methods and motives.
