No Labels has gained ballot access in another swing state, sparking fresh concerns about President Joe Biden’s campaign as he seeks to thwart a third-party challenge to his 2024 reelection bid.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 4-1 over the weekend to recognize the No Labels Party—the political arm of a non-profit organization that has considered sponsoring a third-party candidate for president next year—as an officially recognized political party in the battleground state.
North Carolina represents the fourth potential swing state, and 10th state overall, in which the group has gained ballot access.
“It’s a great day for democracy in the Tar Heel State,” Dennis Blair, chairman of the No Labels Party of North Carolina, said in a statement following the vote late Sunday night. “The North Carolina Board of Elections chose to stand with voters to give the No Labels Party of North Carolina access to the ballot. I commend them for setting aside partisan politics to hear the voices of thousands of North Carolinians who support No Labels and who are part of America’s growing commonsense majority. Today, North Carolina and democracy won.”
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A No Labels spokesperson referred Newsweek to Blair’s statement when reached for comment, as well as remarks by former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who said he was “proud that North Carolina has joined many other states in giving No Labels ballot access, giving our movement continued momentum in hearing the voices of millions of Americans.”
But for Biden, the decision could be part of a political nightmare.
For years, North Carolina has been one of the most hotly contested states, with the final result of the past four presidential elections in the state decided by two points or fewer. North Carolina has also been trending blue, with a fast-growing urban population and a Democratic governor in Roy Cooper.
A No Labels candidate, according to critics and the group’s own internal polling, is more likely to benefit a Republican presidential candidate than a Democrat—a revelation that caused several founding members of the organization to defect and later publicly denounce the group’s efforts, saying it heightened the risk of a second Trump presidency.
While few believe No Labels has a viable path to victory in 2024, the North Carolina decision marks another potential swing state No Labels has managed to gain access to, raising concern their candidate could rob Biden of the plurality of otherwise left-leaning independents he will likely need to win reelection.
An Arizona judge this month struck down a challenge by the state Democratic Party seeking to bar No Labels from the ballot, heightening concerns that No Labels could play “spoiler” in a state Biden won by only about 10,000 votes in 2020. No Labels has also recently gained ballot access in states like Colorado, Alaska, Florida, South Dakota, Arkansas, Utah, Oregon and Nevada, another closely contested battleground state that currently leans Democratic.
While it is unclear whom No Labels will nominate—as a non-profit, its activities and fundraising are closely guarded—the group has fallen under immense scrutiny for its use of Republican-aligned donors and vendors in recent months, including the use of a signature-gathering organization with ties to Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
Ahead of a likely convention in Dallas next year to nominate a candidate, a recent town hall meeting in New Hampshire headlined by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and former Republican Governor John Huntsman of Utah recently raised speculation of a possible bipartisan ticket in 2024. Former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon—a Democrat who is leading the group’s “ballot integrity project” to ensure that the party is able to compete—has also been floated as a potential nominee, as has former moderate Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland.
Biden, meanwhile, is also facing a challenge from progressive philosopher and writer Cornel West, who has denounced Biden’s leadership as too moderate, and his foreign policy as too aggressive. While his poll numbers remain anemic, some on the left have expressed concern that West’s candidacy could further erode the Democratic coalition, robbing them of their ability to overcome Republicans in states with deep urban/rural divides.
“I think he has a very long record of service and academic thought leadership,” progressive Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said of West this month. “I think just right now, given the Electoral College, it’s very difficult to square the very real threat of a Republican presidency…[with] the risk of giving up the very small margin of electoral votes needed to ensure that President Biden wins.”