No Labels Steps Back From 2024 Presidential Race
On Thursday, Independent political organization No Labels announced it will not present a presidential candidate for the 2024 election. No Labels says it is committed to “bridging the divide” in American politics and had planned to introduce a Unity ticket to challenge the status quo. Despite gaining ballot access in over 20 states, the group struggled to find suitable candidates willing to lead its charge against the two major party candidates.
Nancy Jacobson, CEO of No Labels, expressed the group’s rationale: “No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.”
The group’s decision comes after months of speculation and efforts to recruit a high-profile centrist candidate. Figures such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and other notable politicians were considered but ultimately did not embrace the No Labels movement.
This move has been met with a mix of reactions. Some, including Democrats who feared a No Labels ticket could dilute support for Joe Biden, breathed a sigh of relief. Others who were looking for an alternative to the Biden-Trump rematch this year will feel disappointed. No Labels had claimed it was operating as a voice for the “commonsense majority.”
With President Donald Trump currently leading Biden in national polls and doing especially well in crucial battleground states, a prominent third-party disruptor could have caused even more tumult. On Thursday, Joe Cunningham, national director for No Labels, echoed this sentiment on Fox News, admitting the difficulty in finding a candidate who could realistically contend for the White House. “To field this ticket, No Labels was looking for a hero, and a hero never emerged,” he said.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains in the race, having secured enough signatures to appear on the ballot in several states. His campaign, however, faces aggressive challenges from the Democrat establishment concerned he is bleeding support away from the struggling Biden campaign.
