The national director of No Labels, a third-party group that announced on Thursday that it would not run a candidate in the US presidential election, has decided to vote for Joe Biden rather than Donald Trump.
When asked about his personal preference in the upcoming election, Joe Cunningham expressed his support for Biden over Trump.
Cunningham declined to provide further details. Additionally, he was given the option to select Robert F Kennedy Jr, an independent candidate known for his skepticism towards vaccines and conspiracy theories.
No Labels ultimately abandoned its mission, despite raising a substantial $60 million and obtaining ballot access in crucial states. According to Cunningham, the organization was in search of a hero, but unfortunately, one never materialized.
“We have been completely transparent and honest with the American public about our intention to present this ticket if two conditions were fulfilled. Firstly, we needed to ascertain whether Americans desired an alternative option, and it is clear that they do.”
Biden and Trump have both faced significant unpopularity throughout their political careers. In fact, Kennedy’s popularity has remained consistently high, consistently polling in double figures. Despite the concerns that a candidate outside of the two major parties could harm Biden’s chances, and the warnings about the threat Trump posed to US democracy, the No Labels group ultimately abandoned their search for an alternative candidate.
Cunningham explained that the second reason was the difficulty in finding candidates who had a clear pathway to victory. He emphasized that despite their efforts, they were unable to identify individuals who had a straightforward path to success.
Several notable candidates were reportedly courted, including Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who had a long-standing opposition to Trump during the Republican primary. Another potential candidate was Larry Hogan, the former Maryland governor who is currently running for the US Senate. Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who ran a Republican primary campaign explicitly against Trump, was also in consideration. Additionally, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a former wrestler and Hollywood action star, was among those being approached.
According to Matt Bennett, a member of the centre-left group Third Way, they were the ones who initially raised concerns about the doomed and divisive nature of No Labels’ presidential bid. Alongside a diverse group of allies, they actively campaigned to discourage any serious candidate from aligning themselves with No Labels.
“We are immensely relieved that their offer was rejected, which compelled them to back down. Although the possibility of third-party spoilers still lingers, this harmful assault on President Biden and Democrats from the center has finally come to an end.”
During a call with reporters and supporters on Friday, leaders of No Labels expressed their commitment to remain actively involved in election-year politics.
Jay Nixon, a former Democratic governor of Missouri who is now the director of No Labels’ ballot access efforts, expressed confidence in their progress. According to Nixon, “We were successful in any litigation we faced and had already made significant headway in twenty-one states.”
In addition, he emphasized the importance of pursuing dual objectives this year. He expressed his determination to make every effort in the upcoming seven months to ensure that the primary presidential candidates engage with the sensible voters, rather than solely catering to their own party’s base. He recognized the significance of this responsibility and emphasized its importance.
“We should also support sensible congressional candidates who can act as a check on the executive branch. One notable figure in this regard is former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, who is running for the Senate as a Republican. He is not the only one.”
There was no mention of any future presidential campaign in 2028 by Nixon and other leaders who spoke on Friday.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Andy Bursky, another senior official at No Labels, expressed that he is not ruling anything out. He believes that the organization has not been defeated by this endeavor, but rather, it has become even stronger.
