No Labels delegates vote to move forward with presidential ticket
The centrist political organization No Labels voted on Friday to move forward with its presidential ticket, according to a virtual meeting the group held with its delegates.
But an official with the group acknowledged during the gathering, a recording of which was shared with POLITICO, that they currently do not have a candidate and may not find one.
The decision by No Labels marks a potentially major turning point in the course of the 2024 campaign, with the bipartisan group deciding to forge on with their third-party presidential ambitions. Democrats fear that a No Labels ticket could greatly damage President Joe Biden’s prospects for reelection, deriding the group as a stalking horse for likely GOP nominee Donald Trump.
The call, which was a virtual gathering of more than 600 delegates, was directed by Mike Rawlings, a Democratic former mayor of Dallas.
"We don't have a candidate," Rawlings said, "and it's possible, in the end, we won't find a suitable candidate."
Regional leaders on the call expressed broad support for proceeding with a third-party presidential bid in the wake of Biden and Trump now clearly emerging as their party’s respective presidential nominees.
“We need to move forward with this unity ticket for the good of our country,” said one delegate from Idaho. “We can’t announce this ticket soon enough.”
Another pointed out that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s exit from the presidential race this week meant that her voters “need somewhere to go.”
During the course of the call, delegates compared what No Labels was doing to Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address and the Founding Fathers during the American revolution.
While No Labels has been upfront with its interest in running a unity presidential bid it has been opaque, at times, in how it has gone about constructing it. The organization does not reveal donor names and has kept relatively quiet on the candidates it is vetting. It also tried to keep Friday's meeting private. No Labels Vice President Sam Brooks emailed delegates on Thursday to tell them the meeting was “strictly off the record and for delegates only,” according to an email obtained by POLITICO. She also told delegates that a POLITICO reporter was asking for the Zoom link or a recording.
No Labels has criticized both candidates and moved to lay the groundwork for a possible bipartisan unity ticket instead. The group has raised money, sought ballot access in dozens of states and courted moderate figures from both parties.
But some high-profile names recently passed on joining the cause. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said he would not run with No Labels last month, and another possible prospect, former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently announced a bid for the Senate.
The lack of strong recruits still available has left donors openly questioning the vitality of a No Labels presidential ticket.
Some on the call acknowledged the tricky spot the group is in.
“We are in it to win it,” said one delegate. “But we also don’t want to look like liars when we’re telling people that we’re not going to be a spoiler.”
Near the end of the call, Rawlings said the group would make a final decision after March 14, and no later than early April. He also said No Labels would be "more public" about its candidate selection process moving forward.
"We've got to make sure that that ticket is a ticket that we can see a pathway to the White House to win," Rawlings said.
No Labels previously indicated it would exit the race if Trump were to lose the GOP nomination, but he is set to clinch the number of delegates he needs in coming days.
