Arizona Democrats to file lawsuit seeking to block third-party group from 2024 ballot
Cami Mondeaux
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The Arizona Democratic Party is set to file a lawsuit against the state’s top election official in an effort to block his decision granting a third-party group access to the 2024 ballot.
State Democratic leaders are planning to file the lawsuit against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on Thursday as a way to reverse his decision to recognize the centrist group No Labels as a third-party ticket in the presidential election. The move reflects growing concern among Democrats that a “spoiler” candidate could derail President Joe Biden’s hopes of being reelected and threaten the party’s chances of maintaining control of the Senate.
NO LABELS: THE CENTRIST PARTY DEMOCRATS FEAR COULD PLAY SPOILER IN 2024
The lawsuit accuses Fontes of violating state laws when accepting signature petitions from No Labels to receive access to the ballot, according to the Washington Post. Democratic officials claim the accompanying affidavits were signed and approved before the minimum number of petitions were gathered.
As a result, the party leaders argue the affidavits that verified the signatures are false and should be nullified, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also targets No Labels itself, accusing the group of violating federal requirements for a political party by not disclosing its donors and failing to comply with donation limits. Since No Labels describes itself as a nonprofit political group, it is not required to disclose its donors.
“No Labels is not following the rules for political party recognition, while attempting to be placed on the ballot alongside actual, functioning political parties who do,” Morgan Dick, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party, told the outlet. “Arizonans deserve better and voters deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and what potentially nefarious agenda they are pushing.”
Members of the No Labels movement pushed back against those allegations, arguing the lawsuit was being used as a political tactic to suppress third-party voices.
“This undemocratic and unscrupulous lawsuit is a disgrace,” Ryan Clancy, chief strategist for No Labels, said in a statement. “Next time you hear this crowd talking about protecting democracy, remember what they are really doing is protecting their turf.”
The lawsuit comes after No Labels qualified to appear on the Arizona ballot in 2024, stoking fears among left-leaning groups about a “spoiler” candidate who could cost Democrats the presidency and open the door for former President Donald Trump to be reelected. The group has vowed to compete for access in several states and has already qualified for ballots in Arizona, Oregon, Alaska, and Colorado.
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No Labels has been quietly working to craft a bipartisan third-party ticket for over a year, looking to give voters an alternative option to candidates they view as extreme. No Labels has not yet indicated who they would nominate, but the group plans to hold a nominating convention in April.
Several Democrats and Never Trump Republicans are calling on No Labels to cease its efforts to create a third-party ticket, warning such a move would open the door for Trump or a MAGA-aligned candidate to be elected. The group rejected those arguments, predicting its ticket could win in at least 23 states with 279 electoral votes, which is enough to secure the White House.