Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025

Third-party candidate push will 'hurt Biden and help Trump' in 2024, Democratic group warns

Third-party candidate push will 'hurt Biden and help Trump' in 2024, Democratic group warns

The Democratic think tank Third Way has grown increasingly alarmed by an effort to field a third-party candidate in 2024, saying the push by the No Labels political organization would pose a "major obstacle" to President Joe Biden and could help return former President Donald Trump to the White House.
Jim Kessler, Third Way's executive vice president for policy, told Insider his analysis of No Labels' effort to field a "unity ticket" in 2024 shows the group is targeting every state that Biden won in a close election.

"I've been tracking what No Labels is doing, and at a certain point concluded, this is real and it's going to hurt Biden and help Trump," Kessler said. 'This is not going to be a neutral effort."

No Labels has been working to provide an option to nominate an independent presidential candidate in 2024, calling it "an insurance policy" in case both major political parties nominate a candidate that most Americans oppose, the group said in a statement released Thursday.

Republican candidates who have declared their 2024 candidacies so far include Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Biden has not yet declared his candidacy but is expected to do so soon.

"No Labels itself will not run a candidate, but we will have the launching pad, specifically in the form of ballot access across the country," No Labels said in a statement.

The group released its statement after Third Way published a memo, stating that the candidate it eventually backs can't win the presidency. Since 1900, it noted in its memo, third-party candidates "didn't win enough electoral votes in sum to win one election."

But No Labels insisted its polling shows an independent would draw votes equally from both major parties and could win. If there isn't a path to victory, its says its won't offer its ballot line to any presidential ticket.

"No one at No Labels has any interest in fueling a spoiler effort," it wrote. A spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Kessler pointed to a map, published by a Delaware news outlet, showing 23 states that No Labels had identified as "unity states" in a potential bipartisan bid to win 270-plus Electoral College votes in 2024.

Of 23 states they say its will win, 19 of those states Biden won in 2020, he said. Among them is Delaware, Biden's home state, which he represented in the Senate for 36 years.

"Of course they're not going to win Delaware. They're not going to win anywhere," he said. "So the question is, if they're not going to win, who are they going to hurt? And it's Biden."

The hope of Third Way – a center-left group – is to dissuade Democrats from signing onto the effort or running on the ticket, Kessler said.

"The first thing we're doing is sounding the alarm," he said, and making the case "that this effort cannot succeed, unless the goal of No Labels is to make sure Joe Biden doesn't win."

As of September 2022, No Labels told New York Times columnist David Brooks its project was a $70 million effort and it had raised or received pledges for a total of more than $46 million.

"Our argument would be okay, I get it, if you think that Democrats are going to nominate someone far to the left," Kessler said. "But we know who they're going to nominate. It's one of the most centrist Democrats in the party, Joe Biden, we know who that is. You know, you should be happy."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
0:00
0:00
Open
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
0:00
0:00
Close
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
Julia Sebutinde to Lead International Court of Justice: A Historic Transition
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Properties Purchased by Non-EU Residents
Rising Casualties and Intense Diplomacy: The Conflict in Gaza Continues
Joseph Aoun Elected as Lebanon's New President: Ending a Prolonged Power Vacuum
Joseph Aoun Elected Lebanon’s 14th President Amid Political Stalemate
Trump Signals Shake-Up at the Pentagon Amid Transition Concerns
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Trump's Last-Minute Bid to Block Sentencing in New York
Escalating Conflict in Gaza: Casualties Surge as Diplomatic Efforts Continue
Escalation in West Bank: Israeli Boy Killed in Palestinian Gun Attack
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Trump's Appeal to Delay Sentencing in New York Hush Money Case
Lancet Study Reveals Underestimation of Gaza War Death Toll by 40 Percent
Global Acclaim Follows Election of Lebanon's New President Joseph Aoun
Saudi Leaders Extend Congratulations to Joseph Aoun, New President of Lebanon
UN Accuses Israel of Restricting Humanitarian Aid in Northern Gaza
US Pledges $500 Million Military Aid Package to Ukraine
Ethiopia Endures a Series of Earthquakes in Brief Timespan
Joseph Aoun: Lebanon's Fourteenth President Amid a Legacy of Challenges
President Biden Reports Meaningful Progress on Gaza Agreement
Lancet Study Reveals Higher Gaza Death Toll than Official Reports
Global and Arab Welcome for Joseph Aoun's Election as Lebanon's President
Biden Cites 'Real Progress' in Gaza Deal Talks Amid Intense Negotiation Efforts
Escalation in Gaza: Casualties Rise Amidst Ongoing Negotiations
Escalating Conflict in Gaza: Casualties Surge as Negotiations Continue
Quaker Group Cancels NYT Ad Over Dispute on Gaza Terminology
IDF Imposes Media Restraints Amid Legal Concerns For Soldiers
Trump's Counter-terrorism Nominee Urges UK to Repatriate British IS Members from Syria
Uncovering Iraq's Mass Graves: A Haunting Search for the Missing
Kurdish Commander Appeals to Trump for Continued U.S. Military Presence in Syria
Global Powers Call for Stabilization Efforts in Syria Amid Transition
Syria at a Crossroads: The Unceremonious Collapse of the Assad Regime
Trump's Syria Conundrum: Staying Out May Be Easier Said Than Done
Syrian Rebel Leader Pledges to Dismantle Assad's Notorious Prisons
Escalation in Gaza: Increased Casualties Amid Ongoing Conflict
Dissecting Luxury: A Study of American Society in the Digital Age
Escalating Violence in Gaza as Ceasefire Negotiations Intensify
US Eases Missile Technology Export Regulations for Key Allies
Escalation in Gaza Conflict: Fatal Strikes and Escalation in the West Bank
Gaza Cola: A Palestinian Initiative Aimed at Rebuilding Amidst Conflict
Poland Shuts Consulate in Saint Petersburg Amid Rising Diplomatic Tensions
Miracle at Sea: Baby Born on Migrant Vessel Rescued by Spanish Coast Guard
Saudi Crown Prince Engages in Diplomatic Dialogue with Ukraine’s Zelensky
Israeli Military Recovers Body of Hostage in Gaza, Evidence Suggests Son Also Killed
Explosion at Ammunition Depot Rocks Syria's Idlib Region
Saudi Arabia Battling Unprecedented Floods Amid Torrential Rains
Cease-fire Negotiations in Qatar: No Timeline for Resolution
UN Seeks Additional $371.4 Million for Lebanon Amidst Ongoing Crisis
Saudi Arabia Continues Aid Bridge to Syria Amid Ongoing Crisis
Israel Declares West Bank a 'Primary Arena' of Threats Amid Escalating Conflict
×