Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) took his flirtations with a third-party presidential run on the road on Monday by speaking at a town hall in New Hampshire hosted by No Labels, the political organization advocating for a bipartisan ticket in 2024.
Appearing alongside former Utah GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman, Manchin argued the two major political parties are too divisive and that they have failed to deliver for Americans. But the conservative Democrat repeatedly dodged questions about his possible entry into the 2024 race.
“Let’s see what happens; it’s too early,” Manchin said. “If I get in the race, it’ll be to win.”
“I’m not here running for president tonight. I’m here to, basically, try to save the nation,” the senator added.
However, many Democrats fear a third-party presidential ticket would do the opposite by taking votes away from President Joe Biden and boosting Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Recent polling suggests that a Manchin candidacy would attract voters from both parties but pull more undecided voters in a race with Trump and Biden.
No Labels officials say they will present actual candidates for president and vice president by Super Tuesday in March 2024 if it is clear by that point that the two respective major party nominees are Trump and Biden and that they can detect appetite for a third option.
“Hopefully, by shaping the agenda between now and then, things will change,” former North Carolina GOP Gov. Pat McCrory, a No Labels co-chairman, said Monday. “But if it doesn’t change, and if we do get on the ballot, we will present for president and vice president No Labels candidates ― but only if we see an opportunity to win.”
No Labels promotes bipartisan cooperation, but its actual ideology is vague. The group unveiled a new policy platform over the weekend that is heavy on platitudes and devoid of many specifics. Its main themes include GOP favorites like entitlement reform and tackling the national debt.
The group has secured ballot access in several states, including Alaska, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona, with efforts underway for more states. It’s registered as a nonprofit and does not disclose its donors, though it has said it has raised tens of millions of dollars for the effort.
Asked by a reporter at Monday’s town hall why No Labels doesn’t disclose its donors, Manchin attempted to turn the tables by pointing out that both Democrats and Republicans have benefited from dark money. This is true, but both the two major parties are required to reveal the names of their funders.
“I would think the Democratic and Republican Party should be transparent,” Manchin said, adding that Congress should pass legislation overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which paved the way for the rise of super PACs and other forms of political spending.
Manchin’s Democratic colleagues are watching his flirtation with a third-party run warily. Many would rather he run for reelection in West Virginia, a red state where Trump is popular and where Manchin is Democrats’ best chance of defending a seat in the 51-49 Democrat-controlled Senate.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), speaking on CNN on Sunday, said he doesn’t view No Labels as a political party.
“I mean, this is a few individuals putting dark money behind an organization. It should not be about a few rich people. So, obviously, I’m concerned about what’s going on here in Arizona and across the country,” Kelly said during an interview on “State of the Union.”