WASHINGTON — With President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump heading for a rematch, the group No Labels sees an opening. The political party plans to offer an alternative to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in this year’s election. There are fears in both major parties that a No Labels ticket could hurt either Biden or Trump, but the concerns are especially acute among Democrats.

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of members of the No Labels policy party voted Friday to move forward with a presidential ticket

  • No Labels said their unity ticket will feature a Republican and Democrat
  • The group needs to ensure their candidates can make it onto every state’s ballot and some political experts said their path to the White House has other obstacles, such as fundraising and name recognition

  • The group also has gotten flak from both parties, but Democrats seem especially concerned that a No Labels ticket could siphon more votes from Biden, ensuring Trump’s victory

Polls show both Biden and Trump are viewed negatively by many Americans. Hundreds of members of No Labels voted Friday to move forward with a presidential ticket.

“What No Labels is trying to do is bring Democrats, Republicans, centrists together, to help America through this difficult time that we are in. So much division, so little being accomplished, the big issues need to be solved,” Mike Rawlings, the national convention chair for No Labels, said.

Rawlings is also the former Democratic mayor of Dallas. He said although he has endorsed Biden in the past and worries about Trump returning to the White House, No Labels is listening to a dissatisfied electorate by providing an alternative.

“We are the last group that wants to be a spoiler. We want to win it. These parties made their own bed, they have chosen the policies. They’ve chosen the candidates, and it is not our fault that most of America says, ‘No mas. We don’t want these folks,’” Rawlings said. “We’re just trying to react to our neighbors and our friends at church and are friends at the office that say, ‘Isn’t there a better way?’”

No Labels said their unity ticket will feature a Republican and Democrat. The group needs to ensure their candidates can make it onto every state’s ballot. Some political experts said their path to the White House has other obstacles, too.

“You need to find somebody who has a lot of name recognition, access to money, is well-liked, and is actually going to be willing to give up a longstanding attachment with one of the major parties,” said Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University.

But so far, several prominent politicians, like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hayley, a Republican, have turned them down.

The group also has gotten flak from both parties, but Democrats seem especially concerned that a No Labels ticket could siphon more votes from Biden, ensuring Trump’s victory. Smith said the identity of the No Labels ticket and the details of their platform will ultimately determine which party is hurt more.

“They’re saying no labels, and for a lot of voters, that’s good in theory, but it also means we know nothing about who you are and what you stand for,” Smith said. “On Election Day, people are going to look and say, ‘Do I go with a party that I don’t know a lot about or do I go with one that I know a lot about, but I might not be 100% happy with what they stand for?’”

The No Labels party is expected to provide more details about their candidate selection process on March 14.