A political group intending to support a presidential candidate run by the group No Labels plans to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, with a handful of Republican and Democratic strategists as advisers.
The group, New Leaders ’24 political action committee, expects a No Labels ticket to materialize this year. No Labels has said it would mount a campaign if President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump are their parties’ nominees, in a rematch of the 2020 campaign that is increasingly likely.
The group will be advised by Rob Stutzman, a Republican and former deputy chief of staff to Arnold Schwarzenegger during his governorship as well as an adviser for Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. Kathleen Shanahan, a Republican and former chief of staff to Jeb Bush during his governorship, will be the chief executive, and Andrew Fishman, whom the group identified as a Democrat and who has a business background, will serve as treasurer, Mr. Stutzman said.
Officials said they had $2 million in initial commitments, but they expect up to $300 million if there’s a “viable” ticket.
It remains to be seen whether No Labels, which counts former Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor of Maryland, among its leadership, will find what it calls a unity ticket to run in 2024. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who recently said he would not seek re-election, has suggested he is considering a presidential campaign, and he is seen as a top potential candidate by some in the group.
A super PAC is necessary, officials say, because No Labels, which doesn’t have to disclose its donors, can’t operate as a campaign committee and is focused only on trying to ensure ballot access in various states.
Independent and third-party candidacies, which have been tried repeatedly, have served as spoilers in previous presidential races. And Democrats have been vocal about concern that a ticket like the one No Labels is looking to run could tilt the election in Mr. Trump’s favor.
“I think that our democracy is at risk, and I think that No Labels is perilous to our democracy,” Representative Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat and former House speaker, said at a recent event. “I say that without any hesitation.”
Asked why Mr. Stutzman, a vocal critic of Mr. Trump, would be involved in the effort, he said he believed that the “right ticket” could peel off center-right Republican voters, as opposed to drawing from Mr. Biden. Polls show that he is facing a tight battle in a head-to-head matchup with Mr. Trump.
Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, said, “If we offer our line to a unity presidential ticket, it will need a lot of support to rally voters, and it looks like New Leaders 2024 will be well positioned to provide it.”
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
