- P2024 | No
Labels Unity Ticket
Contact: maryanne@nolabels.org
No Labels 2024 Ballot Project
Washington,
DC – Today, No Labels is ending our
effort to put forth a Unity ticket
in the 2024 presidential election.
Americans remain more open to an
independent presidential run, and
hungrier for unifying national
leadership, than ever before. But 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.
No Labels will build on the momentum
we have gained over the last year to
continue representing unity and
giving voice to America’s
commonsense majority. We have been
working since 2010 to organize
citizens across America and members
of Congress through the Problem
Solvers Caucus, which we created to
push back on the extremes in our
politics and push forward solutions
to America’s biggest problems. That
work is more important now than
ever.
We will also remain engaged over the
next year during what is likely to
be the most divisive presidential
election of our lives. We will
promote dialogue around major policy
challenges and call out both sides
when they speak and act in bad
faith.
Like many Americans, we are
concerned that the division and
strife gripping the country will
reach a critical point after this
election, regardless of who wins.
Post-election, No Labels will be
prepared to champion and defend the
values and interests of America's
commonsense majority. We will also
bring our citizens and leaders
together for a summit to discuss the
path forward for our community and
our nation. Suffice it to say that
this movement is not done. In fact,
it is just beginning.
Ed.-On March 14, 2024 No Labels released a video on its Unity Ticket selection process along with an accompanying message by founding chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman (see below). Briefly, No Labels has created Country Over Party Committee in charge of identifying candidates for a Unity ticket. If the Committee finds two candidates that meet its threshold it will recommend that ticket to No Labels' delegates for a nomination vote at a National Nominating Convention that will be held later this spring.
Hi Friend,
Last Friday, No Labels’ 800 delegates from all 50 states voted near unanimously to continue our process to field a Unity presidential ticket in 2024. Even though both major parties have settled on their presidential nominees, it’s clear the American people are still searching for another choice.
Today, No Labels is taking the next step toward providing it by announcing our process to choose the candidates for a Unity ticket.
From our inception 14 years ago, No Labels has always been driven forward by the grassroots of our movement and they have taken the lead to help us find candidates for this ticket. Since late last year, No Labels National Convention Chair Mike Rawlings has been hosting a rolling national dialogue with the No Labels community – with dozens of virtual meetings – where we asked participants a simple question, “What kind of leaders do you want to see on the No Labels Unity ticket?” We have taken all this feedback in, which has given us a much clearer view of the kinds of candidates Americans want to see in 2024.
Now, No Labels has drawn from our community to create the Country Over Party Committee, which is a diverse group of citizen leaders in charge of identifying candidates for a Unity ticket.
The Country Over Party Committee, of which I am a member, is leading a rigorous process to ensure potential candidates embrace the governing values of the No Labels movement and the key elements of our Common Sense policy booklet. If we find two candidates that meet our high threshold, we will recommend that ticket to No Labels' delegates for a nomination vote at a National Nominating Convention that will be held later this spring.
This is an exciting step forward for No Labels and for the country, but we still have a ways to go. We are searching for candidates with values and ideas that reflect those of the commonsense majority as well as the courage to challenge America’s broken two-party duopoly. If No Labels is unable to find candidates who meet this high threshold, then we simply will not offer our ballot line to anyone.
The Republican and Democratic party establishment doesn’t agree on much. But they are in total agreement that they should own your vote. They don’t want additional choices in the political marketplace and they’ve worked relentlessly to prevent No Labels from offering that choice.
But we remain undeterred and confident in our mission because we know we have America’s vast commonsense majority behind us.
We’ll be excited to share more updates in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, onward!
Sincerely,
Senator Joe Lieberman
No Labels Founding Chairman
NO LABELS
Contact: maryanne@nolabels.org
March 8, 2024
Statement from Mike Rawlings, No Labels National Convention Chair
WASHINGTON, DC – “Earlier today, I led a discussion with the 800 No Labels delegates from all 50 states. These citizen leaders have spent months discussing with one another the kind of leadership they want to see in the White House in 2024. These are some of the most civic minded, thoughtful, and patriotic Americans I have ever met. They take their responsibility seriously. Even though we met virtually, their emotion and desire to bring this divided nation back together came right through the screen. I wasn’t sure exactly where No Labels delegates would land today but they sent an unequivocal message: Keep going.
“They voted near unanimously to continue our 2024 project and to move immediately to identify candidates to serve on the Unity presidential ticket. Every one of our delegates had their own explanation for wanting to move ahead. Here are just a few examples of what I heard on the call:
‘Let’s do this. The time is now.’
-Al Bartell, Georgia
‘How can a great country like this be giving us these same two options?’
-Tim Kneeland, Iowa
‘We need to be brave and do something to change our current course.’
-Patty Leasure, Idaho
‘We are reigniting what the Founders did when they got here.’
-Elaina Goldstein, Rhode Island
‘Commonsense voters are without a political home and need a place to go.’
-Dan DuPraw, Pennsylvania
"It was apparent that these citizens believe this is a just cause and that No Labels should provide Americans with the additional choice that they so clearly want.
"Now that No Labels has received the go ahead from our delegates, we’ll be accelerating our candidate outreach and announcing the process for how candidates will be selected for the Unity Ticket on Thursday, March 14."
##Unity Ticket 2024 FAQs
https://www.nolabels.org/unity-ticket-faqs
What does No Labels stand for?
We are a growing national movement of commonsense Americans pushing our leaders together to solve our country’s biggest problems. Our movement includes conservatives, liberals, and everyone in between--but we are all united by certain fundamental beliefs.
1 We care about this country more than the demands of any political party.
2 We believe political leaders need to listen more to the majority of Americans and less to extremists on the far left and far right.
3 We are grateful to live in a country where we can openly disagree with other people.
4 We believe America isn’t perfect, but we love this country and would not want to live any place else.
5 We can still love and respect people who do not share our political opinions.
6 We support, and are grateful for, the U.S. military.
What is the No Labels 2024 insurance project?
In poll after poll, two-thirds of American voters are unhappy with the choices they are likely to have in the 2024 presidential election. No Labels is working to give the American voters a better choice should they want it. We have a strategy to get on 50 state ballots and the District of Columbia in time to potentially offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket in 2024 if that’s what the American people want.
Who funds No Labels?
We have thousands of individual donors from across the country and across the political spectrum. No Labels does not accept money from Washington special interests. But we never release the names of our supporters because it is essential to protect their privacy.
Right now, there is a well-funded and coordinated campaign to intimidate and bully No Labels supporters and pressure them to abandon our movement. This campaign is being waged by a group of powerful party officials and operatives who claim to be protecting democracy when they are, in fact, undermining it.
These antidemocratic forces are working to deny No Labels ballot access, and they are violating Americans’ fundamental constitutional rights like freedom of speech and association.
The Supreme Court has long held that supporters of 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups like No Labels have a right to privacy and must be free to associate without intimidation.
No Labels opponents are running the same anti-democratic playbook as those who sought to deny Americans’ constitutional rights in the past. That’s why No Labels national co-chair Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. – a 60-year veteran of the Civil Rights movement – says those who are opposing No Labels’ right to get on the ballot are engaged in voter suppression.
Why does No Labels believe an independent Unity ticket could win?
Because this moment is unlike any other time in modern U.S. political history, and because a growing commonsense majority is so clearly looking for alternatives to the choices the two major parties may offer in 2024.
Our polling shows 63% of Americans would be open to supporting a moderate independent presidential candidate in 2024 if the alternatives are Donald Trump and Joe Biden. That’s an unprecedented figure that reflects how fed up the American people are with the division in our country and how hungry they are for better choices.
Is No Labels a political party?
No Labels, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization established in 2009 to give voice to America’s commonsense majority, and we have a proven track record of bringing leaders from both parties together to solve problems.
Since our inception, No Labels has been trying to make the two-party system work by building a bipartisan governing coalition in Congress. We helped create the first-of-its-kind House Problem Solvers Caucus and an allied Senate group that were the force behind historic bipartisan achievements like the 2021 infrastructure bill.
In late 2021, No Labels launched an ambitious new project to secure nationwide ballot access to enable the potential nomination of an independent Unity ticket in 2024. Opponents of this project say that this makes No Labels a national political party committee like the Democratic National Committee or Republican National Committee. This is untrue. A political party’s purpose is to campaign for its candidates up and down the ballot, year after year. But No Labels’ project is something much narrower and more focused: We are simply clearing away the ballot access obstacles built by the major parties to create space for the potential nomination of an independent Unity ticket, if that’s what the American public wants.
We are only doing ballot access work for one office and for one election. If No Labels does end up offering our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket, our organization will not help fund or run the campaign. Since No Labels’ inception, most of our time and resources have been dedicated to pushing for public policy reforms rather than election-related activity, and this remains true today. The law and the courts have been clear that an entity like No Labels that is focused only on ballot access and not on advocating for any clearly identified candidate is not the equivalent of a national political party and therefore cannot be compelled to disclose its donors.
Can a candidate for a down-ballot office hijack the No Labels ballot line?
No. No Labels and its state affiliates across the country can offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket, but we have no plans to offer our ballot line to a candidate for any other office. The U.S. Constitution and state election laws fully protect an organization’s ability to choose not to participate in elections for down-ballot offices. No Labels will take all appropriate measures to safeguard our organization’s constitutional and statutory right to control our ballot.
When will No Labels determine whether to offer its ballot line to a Unity ticket?
No Labels will determine whether to move forward shortly after March 15, 2024.
How will No Labels select a Unity ticket?
To select a presidential ticket that can win the White House in November, No Labels has drawn from our community to create the Country Over Party Committee. The Country Over Party Committee is a diverse group of citizens and No Labels leaders who are overseeing a rigorous process to ensure potential candidates embrace the governing values of the No Labels movement and the key elements of our Common Sense policy booklet. If it finds two individuals who meet our high threshold, it will recommend that ticket to No Labels' more than 800 delegates for a nomination vote at a National Nominating Convention that will be held later this spring. Learn more about the process here.
Which candidates are No Labels considering for inclusion on a Unity ticket?
We are not considering any. No Labels has not decided whether we will ultimately offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket, much less who would be on it. We’re focused on getting ballot access in states across the country, and we won’t even make a final determination whether to offer our ballot line to a ticket until 2024.
What is the No Labels Common Sense policy booklet?
No Labels released the Common Sense policy booklet in July 2023. It provides a clear blueprint for where America’s commonsense majority wants this country to go – and it shows how we can address even the most contentious issues with civility and respect.
We spent over a year talking to tens of thousands of Americans, surveying them to understand their aspirations and priorities for the country. The result is Common Sense.
No Labels released Common Sense because we want to shape the debate in the 2024 election. Lately, candidates only speak to the small sliver of voters who show up in their party primaries. Common Sense speaks to – and for – everyone else.
Wouldn't a No Labels Unity ticket just be a "spoiler" in the 2024 election?
No, a No Labels Unity ticket would not be a spoiler in the 2024 election. The spoiler charge is being peddled by people who want to scare the public, sow doubts, and limit Americans’ choice at the ballot box. It is premature to make these assumptions because we have no idea who the candidates will be or where the country will be in November 2024. There is no way to know how a No Labels ticket would affect the race, and anyone who claims otherwise is just spinning. No Labels will ONLY offer our ballot line to a ticket if we believe it has a realistic shot to win outright.
Would No Labels nominate an independent Unity ticket in 2024 if the Democratic nominee is President Biden and the Republican nominee is former President Trump?
It's too early to know. We will offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket ONLY if the public clearly wants an alternative to the major party nominees and there is a viable path to outright victory for an independent Unity ticket in 2024.
Would No Labels use its ballot line in the states to nominate candidates for any offices other than the presidency of the United States?
We have no plans to offer our ballot line to candidates for any offices other than the presidency and vice presidency. This effort is one ticket, one time and that’s all.
Is No Labels secretly working to elect former President Trump?
No, this is a ridiculous charge invented by unethical people willing to say anything to undermine No Labels and raise a few bucks. To learn more about No Labels’ views about former President Trump, please refer to this note written by our co-chairs, Sen. Joe Lieberman and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
Is No Labels funded by Trump supporters?
Absolutely not. The supporters of No Labels want to move beyond the failed leadership of the past. Our country has so many serious problems that will not get solved until we have a president willing and able to bring people together and deliver results for the American people.
Will the No Labels’ effort throw the presidential election into the House of Representatives?
No. No Labels is solely getting ballot access. That’s it. We will not run a presidential campaign. No Labels will not offer our ballot line to an independent Unity ticket unless it has a chance to win outright.
Did No Labels give Trump a Problem Solver Seal?
No. No Labels has never endorsed or supported Donald Trump or any other candidate for president. When No Labels hosted our Problem Solvers Convention in New Hampshire in 2015, we invited all the candidates on both sides. Eight of them, including Trump, accepted. Any suggestion that we endorsed anyone is nonsense.
Who is working to deny No Labels ballot access in the states?
There is a well-funded and organized effort being run from Washington, D.C., featuring senior party officials and political operatives.
No Labels and our supporters are also witnessing state officials erect barriers that limit our access to the ballot, often with fabricated and unprecedented roadblocks with little or no legal foundation.
We believe that federal and state officials – and anyone coordinating with them – acting to deny No Labels and its supporters their rights are violating three fundamental constitutional rights guaranteed to all Americans:
First Amendment right to freedom of association;
Fourteenth Amendment right to due process;
Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.
No Labels welcomes robust debate on the many issues confronting our country. We understand that politics is often rough and tumble. However, the efforts to deny No Labels access to the ballot and harass its supporters are undemocratic, unconstitutional, immoral, and potentially illegal.
No Labels seeks to expand the choices available to an electorate clearly dissatisfied with the options currently offered by the two major political parties.
We will vigorously defend the constitutional and statutory rights of No Labels, our supporters, and all Americans.
What role does No Labels have with the Problem Solvers Caucus?
No Labels and the Problem Solvers Caucus are separate entities. No Labels created the House Problem Solvers Caucus, which today counts over 60 members — evenly divided between the parties — committed to working side by side on two-party solutions.
The Problem Solvers Caucus developed out of informal "get to know you" meetings on Capitol Hill hosted by No Labels in 2011. Our mission evolved over time, and the group became larger and more structured. Today, the House Problem Solvers are a formal, member-driven Caucus co-chaired by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Josh Gottheimer.
No Labels also created regular “bicameral” meetings featuring House Problem Solvers and a bipartisan group of Senate allies. This innovation helped create an entirely new governing process on Capitol Hill and helped build the trust necessary for these courageous leaders to lead the passage of legislation like the historic 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill.
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