minor political party

It’s all about No Labels

BY ALEJANDRO A. ALONSO GALVA COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

e Secretary of State’s o ce has certi ed the “No Labels Party” as the state’s newest political party.

It gained minor party status by submitting more than 10,000 signatures from potential supporters, making No Labels Colorado’s sixth minor party.

e designation means Colorado voters can register with the party. It also means the No Labels-ers will be able to place nominees on Colorado’s general election ballots without candidates having to individually petition on each campaign cycle.

e national group behind the party says it’s attempting to gain access to general election ballots in all 50 states ahead of the 2024 presidential season.

Where the No Labels Party stands on the big issues

No Labels promotes itself as moderate with cross-partisan appeal. On its national website, a list of policy statements includes balancing the national budget, reducing regulation, shifting federal programs to the states and ensuring energy security, in part by increasing fuel e ciency standards.

On immigration they push for expanding guest worker programs and creating a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants “who meet strict conditions such as learning English, paying back taxes and passing rigorous background checks.”

On health care they advocate for purchasing health insurance across state lines, allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies and expanding the use of nurse practitioners “and other mid-level health care workers providing a wider scope of medical services, such as writing prescriptions.”

No Labels has some history in Colorado e group has been active in previous Colorado elections, including supporting former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2014.

No Labels also created a minor controversy during last year’s midterms when it sent out emails inviting supporters to a private event at Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper’s house featuring Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

No Labels also invited GOP U.S. Senate candidate Joe O’Dea — who was running against Hickenlooper’s fellow Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet — to the event, according to the O’Dea campaign.

Hickenlooper’s o ce denied ever being involved with the No Labels event. e political action committee associated with the party did not contribute to any Colorado candidates in the last election.

How No Labels got its minor party status, and what’s next

To gain its minor party status, No Labels submitted 18,046 signatures, of which the Secretary of State’s o ce deemed 11,821 valid — meaning they came from registered Colorado voters. e Secretary of State’s o ce approved No Labels’ petition Nov. 4, 2022, and the group submitted their signatures Jan. 4.

In order for No Labels or any minor party to maintain their status in Colorado at least one party nominee for statewide o ce must receive 1 percent of votes cast in the last two general elections or it must have at least 1,000 registered voters a liated as members. Colorado has ve other minor parties: the American Constitution Party, the Approval Voting Party, the Green Party of Colorado, the Libertarian Party of Colorado, and the Unity Party of Colorado. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

MAR 31 7:30 PM PACE CENTER

GRAMMY®-NOMINATED, MULTIPLATINUM SINGER/SONGWRITER OF THE INTERNATIONAL HIT SINGLE “ONE OF US.”