A powerful network of liberal donors are reportedly planning to oppose No Labels, the newest political party to be recognized in Arizona, as Democrats in the state express concerns the party could serve as a spoiler and cause President Joe Biden to lose the 2024 presidential election.
The influential Democracy Alliance, the nation’s largest club for wealthy liberal donors, told German-owned Politico that Democrats are “increasingly concerned” that a No Labels presidential ticket “could function as a spoiler” for Biden and help former President Donald Trump regain the White House.
Democracy Alliance president Pamela Shifman (pictured above) told the outlet No Labels “has no chance of winning” but could capture enough votes for Trump to win, “catapulting our country into MAGA authoritarianism” in the process. She claimed No Labels’ goal is to “splinter off the coalition of voters who banded together to defeat” the former president in 2020.
On Wednesday, Democracy Alliance reportedly met with opposing Democratic behemoths MoveOn, the progressive advocacy and petition group, and the center-left Third Way. According to Politico, they met to suggest a rare partnership aimed at undermining No Labels.
The flurry of meetings and actions from top Democratic groups occurred after No Labels surpassed 15,000 registered voters in Arizona, per The Associated Press. Biden received 1,672,143 recorded votes in Arizona, compared to Trump’s 1,661,686, meaning the number of registered No Labels voters now exceeds the number of votes in Biden’s margin of victory in the state.
Potentially worse for Democrats, the outlet reports No Labels voters generally trend younger and more politically active. The party boasts more than 13,500 registered voters in Arizona’s two largest counties and an additional 1,900 statewide voters.
At least two Arizona Democrats expressed concerns about No Labels to The Associated Press.
Rodd McLeod, a Democratic strategist in Arizona, said No Labels’ suggestion of putting “someone on the ballot who is designed to bring the country together” would “clearly” capture votes from Biden and not Trump.
Meanwhile, Third Way Executive Vice President Matt Bennett said Democrats should “convince the political world” that No Labels candidates are “going to be Jill Stein 2.0,” comparing No Labels’ hypothetical 2024 unity candidate to the former presidential candidate for The Green Party, who some Democrats argue contributed to the loss of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Benjamin Chavis, the national co-chair of No Labels, defended the party to the outlet, arguing that “[n]ever before has such a large number of Americans expressed their concerns and expressed their views and aspirations for more choices.”
Though it only achieved state recognition this year, No Labels has already survived an attempt from Arizona Democrats to strike the party from the presidential ballot.
A Maricopa County judge dismissed a lawsuit against No Labels brought by the Arizona Democratic Party (AZDP) on August 11, declaring the Democrats’ claims about No Labels’ petition gathering process and financial disclosures do not stand up to scrutiny.
However, AZDP also launched a similar complaint against No Labels with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D), seeking to force the party to disclose its donors or lose its status within Arizona. Fontes has not commented on the complaint, which was filed in July.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Pamela Shifman” by Democracy Alliance. Background Photo “Voting Sign” by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.
