An Arizona judge on Thursday ruled that the independent No Labels Party can stay on the 2024 presidential election ballot, a move some Democrats fear will give Donald Trump a path to a second term.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper wrote in a decision dated Monday that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes properly recognized No Labels as a political party earlier this year. She rejected Democratic claims that there were deficiencies in the paperwork No Labels filed but said she may allow Democrats to refile the lawsuit with new arguments.
So far, No Labels appears to have secured a place on the ballot in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah.
"This is an important win for American democracy and a testament to the power of over 41,000 Arizona voters who signed to give No Labels ballot access in Arizona," No Labels leaders Benjamin Chavis Jr. and Jay Nixon said in a statement.
The stakes are especially high in Arizona, a battleground state where Democratic President Joe Biden won in 2020 by a little over 10,000 votes, less than one-half a percentage point. Biden won two other states by less than 1 percentage point.
The Arizona Democratic Party has filed a separate complaint with the secretary of state's office looking to force No Labels to disclose its donors or lose its status as a political party.
"We are, as always, evaluating all of our options and will continue to fight to protect Arizonans' right to know who is bankrolling this organization as they inject themselves into our elections," Morgan Dick, executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party, said in a text message.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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