No Labels will return to its roots after failing to make much headway in the 2024 presidential election, turning its focus back to congressional races and pausing its national efforts.
The group reiterated its commitment to boosting centrist lawmakers in Congress during its national conference Thursday in Washington, emphasizing the need for bipartisanship in the federal government. The renewed focus comes after No Labels failed to garner enough momentum for its proposed split-party presidential ticket, which sought to offer voters an alternative to the Republican and Democratic candidates in the November election.
“We spent the first decade [of No Labels] singularly focused on Congress — House and Senate,” No Labels chief strategist Ryan Clancy told the Washington Examiner. “So in a lot of ways, this is just a return to what we’ve always done.”
The conference featured nearly two dozen lawmakers from both parties to discuss their goals and priorities for the next Congress, ranging from issues such as taxes and the economy to energy and healthcare.
The event was reminiscent of the group’s focus when it was founded in 2010 to support centrism and bipartisanship within the halls of Congress. It comes as No Labels seeks to regain its relevancy after its unsuccessful presidential bid and widespread criticism on the national stage.
Over the last decade, No Labels has worked with lawmakers to create the Problem Solvers Caucus and advance bipartisan legislation. The group later took a turn during the 2024 presidential election cycle, announcing plans to launch a third-party ticket that would feature both a Republican and a Democrat.
The effort failed to garner much support after many on both the Right and the Left decried it as a “spoiler ballot” that would hand the election over to now-President-elect Donald Trump. In the face of criticism, the group sought to recruit a Republican to lead its ticket but was unsuccessful in doing so.
No Labels ultimately dropped its bid, especially after two of its top ballot contenders, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-VT) and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, said they would not run.
Hogan, who had a speaking slot at the conference Thursday, acknowledged the group went “a little off-track” when it hurtled into national politics, leading it to be “beat up with all the crazy attacks.”
“I think if they can provide cover and support to the people that have the courage to stand up and take time most, then I think it’s a worthwhile organization,” Hogan told the Washington Examiner. “I think they need to return to their core mission. If they can get back to the problem solvers and getting people to come together like we did on the infrastructure bill … that would be a helpful thing.”
It is unclear whether the group will later seek a return to the national stage. Clancy told the Washington Examiner that the group “has not thought about it,” but he added that the group is turning its focus to congressional elections for now.
As a result, lawmakers say they believe the group will remain relevant, at least at the congressional level — with some pointing to No Labels’s support of centrist candidates in competitive toss-up districts.
“They have been one of my best supporters and they have a national following,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who ran in one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle, told the Washington Examiner. It “may be hard at presidential level, but at congressional level, they can help folks who want to govern win.”
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Democrats also emphasized the need for bipartisanship, especially heading into a GOP trifecta next year, in which the party will be in the minority in all three branches of government. Some even went so far as to suggest that the incoming Trump administration will allow them to accomplish some goals they could not before.
“I’m optimistic, and I see in this administration an opportunity to pass a lot of policy proposals that we couldn’t get under a Democratic administration,” Rep. Vicente Gonzales (D-TX) said during a panel discussion at the national conference. “I think there’s a lot more that we can do on border policies that would have a meaningful impact in addressing long-term issues that we’ve been building.”
Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
