A Democratic activist group posted an April Fools’ Day joke Monday that the centrist group No Labels had dropped its effort to put an independent ticket on the 2024 presidential ballot.
The fake claim might become true as the organization struggles to recruit a pair of viable candidates ahead of critical ballot access deadlines.
No Labels pledged to field candidates by the end of March but has not been able to recruit either a presidential or vice presidential hopeful with the name recognition and qualifications to pull off a viable campaign while satisfying the group’s requirements for an “independent unity ticket.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the latest in a long list of political stars who have turned down an invitation to lead the No Labels ticket. Time is running out in states that require candidates to be named before a party can petition for ballot access.
New York has 28 electoral votes, the fourth-highest in the country. No Labels can’t petition for ballot access in the state unless it names the candidates who will appear on the ticket. The 45,000 signatures required to appear on New York’s presidential election ballot can be collected from mid-April to the deadline on May 28. Several other states also require the petitioning party to name candidates to seek a spot on the ballot.
On top of its recruitment problems, No Labels has lost two top leaders. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a No Labels co-founder and former Democrat, died unexpectedly on March 27 after a fall. Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, a No Labels co-chair, abruptly resigned two weeks earlier ahead of the group’s launch of its presidential selection committee.
No Labels is facing tremendous pressure from the Democratic Party to abandon its bid to form a presidential unity ticket.
Democrats say a No Labels candidate would draw votes away from President Biden, which would hit particularly hard in battleground states where the margin of victory will likely be razor-thin.
Despite the setbacks and opposition, No Labels has aggressively gained access to state ballots and is far ahead of other independent presidential campaigns, including that of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
No Labels announced last week that it had secured spots on the ballots in 19 states, including several swing states. The group said it also collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Wisconsin, one of the most critical battleground states.
Mr. Kennedy is on the ballot in Utah and Hawaii. His campaign announced Monday that it had collected enough signatures to appear on the ballots in North Carolina and four other states.
Still, the No Labels movement isn’t backing down on recruiting a presidential ticket.
In a March 14 video announcement, No Labels National Convention Chair Mike Rawlings, a former Dallas mayor, said 800 No Labels delegates from all 50 states “voted nearly unanimously to continue our 2024 project and to move immediately to identify candidates to serve on the Unity presidential ticket.”
The group says voters are desperate for a bipartisan presidential ticket that would put the county above party loyalty and can give voters an alternative to Mr. Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Many polls show that Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are historically unpopular. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in December found that 3 in 10 American adults would be dissatisfied with a second Trump-Biden face-off in November.
Among independents, 43% opposed a rematch.
It appears increasingly unlikely that anyone other than Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump can win in November while the pool of candidates who could viably run on the No Labels ticket is dwindling.
Former Ambassador Nikki Haley declined a run after dropping her bid for the Republican Party nomination in March. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and former No Labels leader, decided to front a unity ticket and instead is running for the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, also declined a spot on the No Labels ticket.
Mr. Christie, who suspended his bid for the Republican Party nomination in January, rejected a No Labels candidacy after determining it might help his nemesis, Mr. Trump, win in November.
“While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” Mr. Christie said.
A No Labels representative did not respond to a request for an interview about the status of its presidential ticket.
Matt Bennett, a vice president at the center-left think tank Third Way, said No Labels is violating its promise not to serve as a spoiler for Mr. Biden.
Mr. Bennett said polls indicate a No Labels ticket would not draw away from Mr. Trump’s loyal base but could peel off voters who would otherwise vote for Mr. Biden.
“They are claiming they can win, and that is just absolutely false,” Mr. Bennett said. “What they can do is help Trump win, whether they intend to or not. That’s what the impact would be, and that’s our biggest concern.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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