It’s been a tough week for No Labels, an influential centrist group that has been working for more than a year to launch a bipartisan, third-party 2024 presidential ticket.
Hours after former New Jersey governor and two-time Republican White House candidate Chris Christie announced he would not join No Labels’ so-called “unity” ticket, its most famous champion died.
The group suffered a major loss with the death of former Sen. Joe Lieberman, a 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate and 2004 presidential candidate who later became an independent and founding co-chair of No Labels.
In public, Lieberman vigorously defended the group’s efforts to seek third-party tickets. And privately, he was a central figure in his No Labels recruiting efforts.
Joe Lieberman, founding co-chairman of No Labels and former U.S. senator, appeared at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on January 18th. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Lieberman also reiterated that Americans have no enthusiasm for a 2024 rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, saying an unlabeled ticket would clear the way for Trump to win in November. He regularly pushed back against Democratic warnings.
“That’s not our goal here,” Lieberman told Fox News Digital late last year. “Ours is not a choice between President Trump and President Biden.”
Hours before Lieberman’s death, Christie joined Republican former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and moderate Democratic state Sen. Joe Manchin West in announcing the 2024 No. He became the latest prominent politician to decline to participate in the event. Virginia.
Christie says no to running for president without label
There was also speculation that President Trump, a former ambassador to the United Nations and former governor of South Carolina, had made the remark. nikki haley Trump’s last rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination until he ended his bid for the White House earlier this month, he will likely consider running on a no-label ticket. Earlier this year, No Label showed no interest in her.
However, Hailey has repeatedly refused to participate in the no-label ticket, most recently in an interview on “FOX and Friends.”
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a two-time Republican presidential candidate, speaks to FOX News Digital on November 21, 2023 in Derry, New Hampshire. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Christie, a Republican who has been a vocal critic of President Trump, has made his opposition to the former president a centerpiece of his unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid. There is no path to victory, and if my candidacy in any way helps Donald Trump become president again, that’s not the path forward.”
Christie had been considering the possibility of joining No Labels on a third-party ticket in recent weeks, but officials confirmed to Fox News that Christie commissioned a poll before opposing the move. .
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, another vocal Republican critic of Trump, was also taken to court. No Labels repeatedly reached out to Sununu and during the conversations he indicated he was one of the top candidates based on focus group data, a person familiar with the conversations confirmed to Fox News.
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“The governor took their complaints graciously and indicated at every stage of the conversation that he had no interest in holding their ticket. They contacted them again in early March, but the governor again said no. “,” the official said.
Ryan Williams, a longtime Republican strategist and communicator, said much of the hesitation is “a big concern that a third party running could help President Trump. If you don’t like President Trump, you don’t want to help him.” ” he said. ”
Williams, a veteran of multiple Republican presidential campaigns, also said running for president is “a huge undertaking that takes up a lot of your life. If there’s no clear path for a third-party candidate at this point, “It will be a huge sacrifice.” ”
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gestures next to running mate Nicole Shanahan in Oakland, California, on Tuesday. (Reuters/Laure Andrillon)
Complicating Norabelle’s efforts is independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic, he is the scion of America’s most storied political dynasty, polling higher than any other third-party candidate and attracting more attention. . He is the party’s first White House nominee since Ross Perot more than 30 years ago.
Naming a running mate could help Robert F. Kennedy JR win the vote.
Despite this week’s setback, No Labels continues its mission to gain access to the ballot across the country. Hours before the news of Mr. Lieberman’s death, the group announced that it had officially qualified to appear on the ballot in 19 states.
No Labels leaders and guests, from left: Pat McCrory, Co-Executive Director Margaret White, Dan Webb, National Co-Chair Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, and former Senator Joe Lieberman at the National Press Club will talk about the 2024 election. January 18th, Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Earlier this month, Lieberman announced the formation of a bipartisan committee to vet candidates, saying, “If we find two candidates who meet our high standards, we will put their tickets on the No Labels delegates’ ballot.” I plan to recommend it.” A national nomination convention will be held later this spring. ”
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But he acknowledged that “if No Labels can’t find a candidate who meets these high standards, we simply won’t offer anyone a ballot line.”
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
