PHOENIX, AZ — The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) announced a legal challenge to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ unlawful decision to allow the No Labels Party to rename itself the “Arizona Independent Party,” a move that is inappropriate and risks widespread voter confusion and disenfranchisement.
Voters who signed petitions in 2023 did so to recognize the No Labels Party, a party explicitly marketed around the idea of having no labels. They did not sign petitions to create an “Independent Party,” nor were they informed that their support could later be repurposed to form a brand-new party with a different name.
The AZGOP emphasized that Arizona voters who register as “Independent” expect to receive either a Republican or Democratic primary ballot under Arizona’s open primary system. Creating a party literally named the “Independent Party” blurs that distinction and risks voters being placed into the wrong category, potentially depriving them of the ballot they intended to fill out.
Notably, concerns about this improper name change are not partisan. The AZGOP is on the same page as the Arizona Democratic Party and the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, who have also raised objections to Secretary Fontes’ action, underscoring the broad agreement that this maneuver is inappropriate and unlawful.
The lawsuit seeks to block the name change, declare the Secretary’s action unlawful and void, and reaffirm that political parties must follow the same statutory process required of every other party seeking ballot access in Arizona.
“What Secretary Fontes has approved is not the creation of a legitimate new party under Arizona law, but a unilateral rebranding effort by a small group of party insiders without voter consent and without legal authority,” said Chair Gina Swoboda. “His decision fails to provide clarity, transparency, and a voter registration process that the public can understand.”
