An Arizona judge has rejected a challenge from state Democrats to keep a third-party presidential ticket off the 2024 ballot, ruling that the centrist No Labels group is a legitimate political party despite pushback from both sides of the aisle.
In a decision dated on Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper sided with state Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who earlier this year recognized No Labels as a political party that met the requirements to appear on the ballot next year. State Democrats sought to challenge that decision, voicing concerns that a “spoiler” candidate could open the door for former President Donald Trump to return to the White House.
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“This is an important win for American democracy and a testament to the power of over 41,000 Arizona voters who signed to give No Labels ballot access in Arizona,” Benjamin Chavis Jr. and Jay Nixon, co-leaders of the No Labels group, said in a statement. “The court's decision to uphold the will of these voters and the laws and system protecting their rights, sends a powerful message about respecting the choices of citizens and safeguarding their democratic rights.”
No Labels qualified to appear on the Arizona ballot in early March after garnering the minimum number of signatures required to appear on the ballot for statewide and federal races, which could have major implications for not only the presidential election but also the high-profile Senate race brewing in the Grand Canyon state.
Outside Democratic groups have pushed back on No Labels and its efforts for months, pointing to historic evidence showing third-party candidates typically do poorly in general elections. Others have argued a third-party ticket would provide a crucial boost to the GOP and open the door for Trump or a MAGA-aligned candidate to be elected.
However, No Labels pointed to the group’s polling that shows Biden losing to Trump in head-to-head matchups in a number of battleground states that were crucial to his victory in 2020, including Arizona and Georgia. When a third-party candidate is introduced in either of those states, support for both President Joe Biden and Trump diminishes, disproving the theory of a “spoiler candidate,” they said.
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"Introducing a new choice is going to shake those interests up, both on the Democratic side and on the Republican side,” Dritan Nesho, chief pollster for No Labels, told the Washington Examiner last month. “You wouldn't attack an initiative or an effort if you didn't think that initiative or that effort has the ability to win. As we've said all along since December, we're in this unprecedented moment in modern American history where an independent really has a viable path."
It’s not yet clear who the group would tap as its nominees, but the group plans to hold a nominating convention in April should it move forward with plans for a third-party ticket. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has emerged as a top contender for the ticket, with the West Virginia Democrat repeatedly telling reporters he has not decided whether he’ll run for reelection or seek higher office.