No Labels pleads with Democrats not to interfere after Biden comments

Political organization No Labels, which has been pushing for a bipartisan ticket to mount a third party bid for the White House, is urging state Democratic Party officials not to interfere with its efforts after President Biden said its leaders had a “democratic right” to do what they’re doing.

Following Biden’s remarks, former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I), former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) and former head of the NAACP Benjamin Chavis Jr. called for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to end what they characterized as an “anti-democracy” campaign against the group.

“We urge you to tell the leaders in the Democratic National Committee to stand down and halt all actions to restrict voter choices in this or any other election and to tell your state and national leadership that you will not participate in them,” the three No Labels officials wrote in the letter.

“We urge you to tell your state and national leadership that you will not participate in actions that threaten the very principles of liberty and freedom that are the bedrock of our democracy,” they added.

Biden weighed in on efforts by No Labels in an interview with ProPublica over the weekend when asked about Lieberman’s support for the group.

“He has a democratic right to do it. There’s no reason not to do that,” Biden told ProPublica in an interview.

“Now, it’s going to help the other guy, and he knows,” Biden continued, apparently meaning that the organization may be helping former President Trump in the 2024 election. “That’s a political decision he’s making that I obviously think is a mistake. But he has a right to do that.”

Democrats have expressed concerns that a third-party bid by No Labels could spoil the 2024 election in favor of Trump. The organization has maintained that it will end its efforts if its push will help Trump.

No Labels leaders also sent out the letter in response to an email sent by the director of the Utah Democratic Party to county chairs last week, in which he said No Labels was a “threat to our democracy.” The No Labels leaders said they expected Democratic leaders “to refrain from blatantly antidemocratic behavior.”

No Labels has secured ballot access in 11 states and hopes to be on the ballot in all 50 by Election Day next year. The organization said that American voters “have shown support” for No Labels by signing petitions to add the group to the ballot.

“The DNC is part of a broader and more organized campaign to subvert No Labels’ ballot access efforts that are on the razor’s edge of violating federal law,” the three officials wrote. “Engaging in tactics such as these is a blatant violation of the basic constitutional rights that No Labels and its supporters enjoy under the First Amendment rights of freedom of association and freedom of speech.”

The Associated Press contributed.