<<<READ THE WASHINGTON POST’S STORY ON NO LABELS HERE>>> 

John, 

It pains me to send a note like this.

Today, the Washington Post ran a story revealing how far some were willing to go to stop No Labels from getting ballot access for a 2024 Unity presidential ticket.

It’s hard to read. It’s the kind of story that tests your faith in our democracy.

The Post reporter pulled public documents from an ongoing court case, showing political operatives— who were doing the bidding of senior Democratic party officials and funders—plotting to “destroy” No Labels and make us “devastatingly toxic” to citizens and candidates who might run on our ticket. 

Although No Labels was engaged in the Constitutionally protected act of petitioning for ballot access, the operatives pledged to stop us whenever possible from “successfully signature gathering.”

In states where No Labels did get on the ballot, they planned to “hijack” our ballot line to run extremist candidates and make us seem like “totally crazy/right-wing wackos.” 

They asked, “What does it take to revoke ballot access?” once No Labels gets it.

They put all of this in writing and said—if you can believe it—they needed to find more allies in the “pro-democracy” movement to align against us.

It’s outrageous but not surprising. I am a former U.S. attorney and No Labels board member who was proud to volunteer my time to help us get on voting ballots. This process is sacred to our democracy, which is why it enjoys many of the same legal protections as running a voter registration drive. As No Labels gathered over a million voter signatures throughout 2023 and 2024, we knew we were facing an organized campaign to stop us. We knew cynical operatives were crossing ethical—and potentially legal—lines. That is why Senator Joe Lieberman filed a formal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice last January. 

As bad as this conspiracy against us was, today’s Washington Post story reveals it was worse—and more consequential— than we imagined.

These groups claimed they were working to “protect our democracy,” even as they ensured there was less of it by limiting voters’ choices and seeking to destroy anyone who disagreed with them. No Labels was not alone, either. Any group that suggested an alternative to President Biden’s reelection campaign within the Democratic party—or outside of it—was attacked relentlessly.

Although I am disappointed No Labels couldn’t field a ticket in 2024, I am more committed than ever to our work to find and support leaders committed to working together to solve America’s problems. 

Tens of millions nationwide make up what No Labels calls the commonsense majority. In the aftermath of this election, we don’t want Republicans in Congress who will rubber stamp President-elect Trump’s policies, and we don’t want Democrats who will reflexively resist it.

Instead, we want leaders focused on delivering results on the real problems—like inflation and immigration—that we care about. No Labels is working to create a home for leaders who embrace this approach and for the citizens who want to support them.

Please take a moment to read and share this Washington Post story. I also want to invite you to an update call I will co-host with No Labels leader and former Mayor of Dallas Mike Rawlings on Monday, November 25^th at 5:00 PM ET so you can share your thoughts on this tragic and terrible assault on our democracy.

I hope you feel the same resolve to give and do more for the No Labels movement.

Dan Webb

Here are 3 takeaways from our No Labels Talks with Douglas Irwin:

• Tariffs can be a Double-Edged Sword: While tariffs can protect domestic industries, they often raise costs for consumers and downstream manufacturers, making them a blunt tool for fostering economic growth. 
• China's Challenge to Fair Global Trade: China's state-subsidized industries, intellectual property theft, and lack of transparency in trade practices pose unique threats to global economic fairness and U.S. national security. 
• Balancing Security and Trade is Difficult but Necessary: Reducing dependence on foreign production for defense and critical industries may require regulatory mandates and strategic incentives, not just higher tariffs.

Could Trump Use Recess Appointments to Install His Cabinet?

By Sam Zickar
Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet nominations have already sparked plenty of controversy. Even within his own party, some GOP senators have raised eyebrows over picks like Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, citing concerns about their qualifications or potential legal issues.

A Congressional Balancing Act

By Peyton Lofton
As it stands, Republicans are on track to have a very slim majority in Congress next year. The GOP will hold 53 seats in the Senate; and if each House race still uncalled ends up going to the current leader, Republicans will end up controlling 221 seats in the House – just three more than a bare-minimum majority. 

This House Democrat Keeps Winning in Trump Country. Here’s What She Knows

By Michelle Goldberg
I first met Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in 2022, when she was running what was widely seen as a long-shot Democratic campaign for Congress in a solidly Republican, heavily rural part of Washington State. Shortly before the election, the polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight estimated her chance of victory at a mere 2 percent. But she won, defeating a burgeoning star of the MAGA movement named Joe Kent.

Rep. Tom Suozzi on CNN News Central

By Joe Cunningham 

I mean, the bottom line is that we've got to do two things. We've got to resist when things are crazy and don't make any sense and are going to freak everybody out and be bad for our constituents that violate our policies. But we also have to be willing to work together when things make sense to solve the problems that the American people face. You know, we have to work on the border. We've had all this tumult about it. Let's actually do something that's reasonable. Now, there are a lot of republicans, and a lot of business people, and a lot of law enforcement, and a lot of religious groups that don't want to see mass deportations and the chaos that that would cause. Let's figure out how to secure the border, fix the asylum system, and treat people like human beings. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres on 2WAY TONIGHT with Mark Halperin Cunningham

The Democratic Party is an ideologically varied, unwieldy coalition ranging from The Squad to the Blue Dogs. And so, there's no universally agreed upon diagnosis of what went wrong, and therefore there's no agreed upon prescription of how to move forward. But I hope that there's a pendulum swing back to the center. You know, I think we as a party have to recognize the majority of the American people are in the center. 

No Labels Talks Episode 32: “Tariffs 101” with Douglas Irwin

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