No Labels, a centrist group aiming to offer a “unity ticket” in the 2024 election as an alternative to President Biden and Donald Trump, has decided to suspend their campaign after failing to find suitable candidates for the White House. Despite Americans showing interest in an independent presidential run and a desire for unifying national leadership, the organization was unable to identify candidates with a credible path to winning. The Wall Street Journal first reported the suspension of No Labels’ presidential project after months of discussions and fundraising efforts that brought in tens of millions of dollars.
Even though No Labels had initially announced their intention to accelerate candidate outreach in search of Republicans and Democrats for their ticket, they encountered difficulties in getting qualified candidates to agree to run. Former GOP presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Chris Christie, along with Rep. Dean Phillips and Sen. Joe Manchin, all declined to run on the third-party line. Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan was also in talks with No Labels before announcing his withdrawal from consideration. The group, however, did not reveal any other potential candidates they were seriously considering, emphasizing their focus on getting on the ballot in all 50 states.
A further setback for No Labels occurred when one of its founding chairman, former Sen. Joe Lieberman, passed away at the age of 82 after a fall. Despite these challenges, the organization has pledged to remain engaged during what is expected to be a divisive presidential election. No Labels plans to promote dialogue around major policy challenges and hold both sides accountable when they act in bad faith. They expressed concerns about the division and strife in the country potentially escalating after the election, regardless of the winner, and highlighted their commitment to championing the values and interests of America’s commonsense majority.
Looking ahead, No Labels intends to continue its movement beyond the 2024 election and believes that this suspension is just the beginning. They plan to bring citizens and leaders together for a summit to discuss the path forward for the community and the nation. The group’s goal is to address the concerns of a divided nation and work towards finding common ground to bridge the political divide. Despite the challenges faced in finding suitable candidates for their unity ticket, No Labels remains committed to fostering unity and promoting bipartisan solutions for the benefit of the country as a whole.
