No Labels National Co-Chairs, Former Senator Joe Lieberman and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Respond to Coordinated Attacks to Restrict Voters Choices in 2024
This issue is about voter choice. That’s democracy. Why would these Democratic groups try to block voter choice? Fear of losing isn’t a sufficient answer. If your candidate isn’t wanted by the American people and doesn’t look like a sure thing to protect democratic norms against someone who has shown a willingness to repeatedly break them, isn’t the better answer to get a new candidate? Forcing an unwanted choice on the majority of Americans who feel otherwise isn’t protecting democracy, as they claim. It’s subverting it. Don’t be fooled. It’s not the voter’s responsibility to protect unpopular candidates. And if they fear their own primary system won’t produce a candidate that’s more broadly popular than the incumbent (and I think they’re all too correct in this assumption, in both parties), then they need to work to reform that system. No Labels is here to force that reform. To restore the previously successful dynamic of the two parties vying to attract the middle to find consensus in solving our nation’s most pressing problems, rather than retreating to their own extremes and failing to solve problems without any accountability. This is an effort to restore accountability to our political system—of the people, by the people, and for the people.
NO LABELS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2023
Contact: Maryanne Martini
Email: maryanne@nolabels.org
No Labels National Co-Chairs, Former Senator Joe Lieberman and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Respond to Coordinated Attacks to Restrict Voters Choices in 2024
Washington, D.C. – No Labels National Co-Chairs, Senator Joe Lieberman and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., released the following statements today after reports by The Washington Post and NBCNews.com that 40 senior Democratic leaders and operatives met last week with the express purpose to “subvert” No Labels’ efforts to get on the ballot and give Americans a choice they so clearly want in 2024.
“When you live in a democracy you get to choose your leaders. And not just in the voting booth. In every state, Americans have the right to come together and petition to put more choices on the ballot,” said No Labels Founding Chairman former Senator Joe Lieberman. “That’s what No Labels has been doing since last year, with over 600,000 voters already signing in states nationwide. This is democracy in action, and it’s disturbing that some of the people in my party – which is supposed to champion voting rights – are now trying to shut us down.”
“I’ve spent my entire life in the Democratic party, championing civil rights and voting rights,” said No Labels National Co-Chair, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “I joined No Labels as a National Co-Chair because I am committed to supporting bipartisan common sense solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems.”
Chavis added: “Democracy is about equal ballot access and transparency. To hear that a group of my friends and leaders in the Democratic Party were recently convened at the Third Way office in Washington DC for the express purpose of coordinating efforts to prevent No Labels from getting ballot access is disturbing. Denying ballot access is another form of voter suppression. No Labels is not and will not be a spoiler for Donald Trump. We are clear and transparent about not doing anything to help our nation step backwards with Trump. Thus, the present voter suppression tactics of Third Way and the other Democratic Party operatives that attended the meeting should not continue.”
In Arizona, which was one of the first states where No Labels started gathering petition signatures, the state Democratic party is already trying to kick No Labels off the ballot. They filed a lawsuit against No Labels stating it would “make it more difficult to elect Democratic Party candidates,” and “require [the party] to expend and divert additional funds and staff time on voter education to accomplish its mission in Arizona.”
The Arizona Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes (D), who was also sued by the state Democratic Party, responded to the lawsuit by filing a motion to dismiss saying there is no legal basis for the challenge and that No Labels meets all of the legal qualifications to be a legitimate party in the state. In court filings it’s made clear that there is no precedent for a party being able to cite fear of competition as justification for kicking a party off the ballot.
Background:
No Labels has spent 13 years working to give voice to America’s common sense majority. We are now getting ballot access in states across the country to ensure Americans have the choice to vote for a 2024 presidential ticket that features strong, effective, and honest leaders who will commit to working closely with both parties to find commonsense solutions to America’s biggest problems. www.nolabels.org.