US No Labels Will Not Field a Third Presidential Candidate... Biden 'Relieved'

Moderate political group 'No Labels,' which had been searching for a third-party candidate to run in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, has announced it will not field a candidate. This is seen as a relief for President Joe Biden, as it reduces concerns about splitting the moderate and progressive vote.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 4th (local time), Nancy Jacobson, CEO of No Labels, stated in a press release, "No Labels has always said it would only nominate a candidate if there was a strong possibility of entering the White House," adding, "Since such a person has not emerged, we are stepping back at this point." She further said, "We will continue to represent and protect the values and interests of the sensible majority of America even after the election."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Previously, No Labels decided to field an independent presidential candidate and began the candidate selection process last month. With a budget of $70 million secured, No Labels succeeded in obtaining ballot access in states including Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah.

However, despite approaching about 30 Democratic and Republican figures, they failed to secure a well-known candidate. On the Republican side, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who had withdrawn from the presidential primaries, as well as Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, were offered candidacies but reportedly all declined.

No Labels' decision is expected to be favorable for President Biden. If the moderate-leaning No Labels had fielded a candidate, Biden could have lost moderate and progressive votes. Democratic figures who have been wary of this are likely to feel relieved. Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House and a Democrat, said late last year, "Our democracy is at risk because of No Labels."

However, even if No Labels withdraws from this presidential race, the possibility of a third-party candidate emerging still exists. Independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., progressive philosopher Cornel West, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein have all expressed intentions to run the full race.

In particular, Kennedy, a former Democrat, recently recorded around 10% support in polls conducted by local media such as Fox News. In hypothetical multi-candidate matchups, Kennedy appears to siphon more votes from President Biden than from former Republican President Donald Trump. As a result, some Democrats have recently expressed caution at the Democratic National Committee, using aggressive terms such as "spoiler" and "conspiracy theorist" to describe Kennedy Jr.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.