History
Founding
No Labels was founded on December 13, 2010, with the slogan "Not Left. Not Right. Forward". Its stated purpose was to organize American voters against partisanship in politics and encourage a "common ground" approach to problem solving. No Labels sought to establish chapters in every congressional district and college chapters across the United States. The effort was viewed by skeptics as an attempt to support a potential third party presidential campaign for New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2012, which he and No Labels denied. No Labels had relatively few Republicans backing it, and criticism of the movement came largely from right-wing political figures.[5][6]
Congress
In January 2013, No Labels promoted an informal "Problem Solvers" caucus in Congress for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The group initially began as 24 Democratic and Republican members of Congress who pledged to meet regularly.[7] Members would identify their affiliation by wearing lapel pins, particularly during events such as the 2013 and 2015 State of the Union addresses.[8][9]
In 2017, the group helped to formally start the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group of approximately 60 congressional members.
For the 2019–2020 House term, the Problem Solvers Caucus reached an agreement with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi on House rule changes[10] that some praised as practical and necessary,[11] while others claimed it might give House Republicans[11] and/or corporate interests[12] more power for that term.[13]
In 2021, the Problem Solvers Caucus released a "Building Bridges" blueprint for a bipartisan infrastructure deal. It was the first deal to be endorsed by Republicans and Democrats during that budget cycle.[14]
2024 presidential ticket
No Labels has stated that it would put up a bipartisan "unity ticket" as an "insurance policy" in the event that Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump are both nominated by their respective parties for the 2024 presidential general election, noting the general unpopularity of both potential candidates. In November 2023, No Labels' chief strategist, Ryan Clancy, stated that "Based on the conditions as they are, we expect to be putting up a ticket early next year".[15]
No Labels says as of July 2023 it is close to raising the $70 million that it thinks will enable it to potentially put a third-party ticket for the 2024 presidential election on the ballot in every state.[16] As of January 2024, the organization has ballot access in 15 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii,[17] Kansas,[18] Maine,[17] Maryland,[19] Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah.[17] Joe Lieberman announced in an interview with Fox News Sunday on August 27, 2023, that the organization plans to hold a "bipartisan nominating convention" in Dallas, Texas in April 2024.[20] The organization later indicated in a statement with Axios in November 2023 that it will instead hold a virtual convention.[21]
As of January 2024, No Labels has reportedly assembled a list of 13 possible candidates, with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin as the leading figure among them.[22] Congressman Dean Phillips, who is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for president, said he would consider running on the No Labels ticket if polling suggested that Biden would end up losing to Trump,[23] but reversed his statement a day later.[24] Former Republican Governors Larry Hogan and Jon Huntsman have also been mentioned by political observers as potential No Labels candidates[25][26] (though Huntsman has denied interest in a presidential run).[27]
Former governor Nikki Haley, who is currently seeking the Republican nomination for President, has ruled out running on a No Labels ticket.[28]
No Labels and its supporters cite polling showing voters' disapproval of the presumptive 2024 Democratic and Republican presidential nominees. In August 2022, No Labels released a poll of voters in eight battleground states, finding 63% of voters open to a "moderate independent" presidential candidate,[29] though Intelligencer columnist Ed Kilgore argues that once a specific candidate is chosen, polling numbers will drop dramatically.[30] No Labels' internal polling shows Biden losing the most votes from their candidacy, while a poll from Monmouth University on July 20, 2023, concluded that if No Labels' chosen candidates were more popular with conservatives, it's not clear which major party would benefit more: "The presence of a third party in the race would siphon votes from both major party nominees, but it is not apparent it would play the role of a spoiler."[31] FiveThirtyEight's review of polling on July 13, 2023, predicted at that time that a bi-partisan ticket would likely benefit Trump.[32]
The effort has been criticized by some Democrats, centrists, and Republicans who fear it could give former president Donald Trump a second term.[33][34][35][36][37][38] One report claimed that certain center-left members of No Labels' Problem Solvers Caucus were "in open revolt";[39][40] co-founder William Galston resigned in protest.[41][42] A bi-partisan group of former lawmakers launched a Super PAC called Citizens to Save Our Republic to focus on stopping No Labels' presidential ticket.[43][44] Nonprofits Third Way and MoveOn also organized a campaign to get Democrats to disavow No Labels.[45] Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been critical of the organization, stating that No Labels doesn't "know who they’re going to hurt".[46][47] On November 2, 2023, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "No Labels is perilous to our democracy" since a 2024 presidential run would "jeopardize the reelection of Joe Biden as president of the United States".[48] President Biden has stated that a No Labels candidacy would help his opponent. Biden's top aides have utilized the resources of the Democratic National Committee, labor unions, donors, and advocacy groups to push financial and political support away from No Labels and other potential third party bids. Democrats have worked to spread negative information about potential third party candidates while lawyers have researched options to limit ballot access.[23][49] Clancy has stated that "We don’t think Trump should ever again be president", and that No Labels would not act as a spoiler that benefits Trump.[15]
No Labels national director Joe Cunningham indicated in a January 2024 interview with The Hill that the organization would wait until Super Tuesday to confirm the ticket.[50]
Legal disputes
Arizona
The Democratic Party of Arizona unsuccessfully sued to prevent No Labels from recognition as a political party in the state, with the ability to place candidates on the state ballot.[51] Over 15,000 Arizona residents have chosen to register their party affiliation as No Labels, more than the margin of victory in the 2020 presidential election in Arizona.[52]
After No Labels attained recognition as a party, perennial candidate Richard Grayson opted to run under the No Labels banner.[52] No Labels sued the Arizona Secretary of State, Democrat Adrian Fontes, to prevent candidates it did not approve of from running under the No Labels banner and using its ballot line.[53] U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi ruled in No Labels' favor.[54]
Durst lawsuit
In January 2024, real estate heirs Douglas Durst and his cousin, Jonathan, sued No Labels alleging a "bait and switch" scheme used to finance their third-party presidential campaign. The Durst family says it has donated to No Labels since 2016, when the group's messaging focused on bipartisan policy legislation, but contend that No Labels' presidential ambitions are a breach of their donor's trust. According to No Labels, the Dursts have not donated in several years.[55]
Maine
In May 2023, the Secretary of State of Maine, Democrat Shenna Bellows, sent No Labels a cease and desist letter after accusing the organization of misleading voters into registering for the party. She claimed that No Labels misrepresented voter registrations as petitions, and informed each registrant how to change their party affiliation. No Labels argued that Bellows' actions could amount to voter suppression and responded by stating that their organizers were instructed to ask voters to join their party, and noted that the form signed by voters is titled "Maine Voter Registration Application". While 798 people who received letters from Bellows unenrolled from No Labels, the group still had enough registered voters to qualify for the Maine ballot.[56][57] In January 2024, the party was confirmed as a qualified political party giving them ballot access.[58] No Labels has rejected a state-run primary in Maine.[59]
Intimidation complaint
In January 2024, No Labels filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice alleging a "illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and as potential candidates." The complaint claimed members of Third Way and The Lincoln Project actively threatened No Labels and prospective candidates to cease their presidential ambitions. Both Third Way and the Lincoln Project have denied the allegations.[60]
Leadership
Nancy Jacobson has been the board president since the founding of the organization and as of 2022, CEO.[85] In December 2020, No Labels announced Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, as a national co-chair (prominent spokesperson[86]) to serve alongside the No Labels founding co-chair Joe Lieberman.[87] In January 2023, former NAACP executive director Benjamin Chavis joined Hogan as national co-chair.[88] In June 2023, former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory joined as a national co-chair.[89] Hogan stepped down as co-chair in December 2023.[90]
Nancy Jacobson (board president and CEO) and Jerald S. Howe Jr. (board treasurer) have been on the board since the founding of the group in 2010. Andrew Tisch joined in 2012. Andrew M. Bursky joined in 2015. Dennis C. Blair and Charles R. Black Jr. joined in 2019.[91] Tish Bazil was added to the organization's website as a Board Member in 2023.[92] Previous board members include: Ted Buerger (2010), Joshua Bekenstein (2010), Mark Nunnelly (2010), Mark McKinnon (2010–2012), Nate Garvis (2010–2013), Holly Page (2010–2013), Lisa Borders (2014–2017),[91] Kenneth A. Gross (2012–2023) and Margie Fox (2009–2023).[93]
Controversies
Based on 14 interviews with former employees in December 2022, Politico described a "cutthroat culture" within No Labels which one former aide called "toxic".[94] In response to the criticism, several senior officials for the group described to Politico the complaints as coming from "aggrieved ex-workers" who could not "adapt" to a demanding office culture.[94] In August 2023, a Black former outreach manager of No Labels sued the political organization, claiming she was discriminated against because of her race and retaliated against for reporting the alleged discrimination.[95]
Politico reported that in addition to requiring non-disclosure agreements, Nancy Jacobson has been accused by former employees of asking staff members to obscure where they work on LinkedIn, allegedly, in order to make it more difficult for journalists to interview No Labels employees.[94]
