No Labels convention chairman Mike Rawlings argued Democrats are going “to get run over by the Donald Trump train” while defending the organization’s decision to move forward with a third-party presidential ticket in the 2024 election.
In responding to CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday, who asked about those urging No Labels not to launch a ticket in fear that it will hurt President Joe Biden’s reelection chances and help former President Donald Trump secure a second term, Rawlings said, “We’re gonna get run over by the Donald Trump Train.”
“We didn’t tie the Democrats to this track,” Rawlings, who served as the Mayor of Dallas for several years, added. “We were the ones that saw this coming and say get off the track. Let’s do this in a different way. Let’s talk about common sense issues. Let’s get common sense leadership. Let’s take accountability in this country.”
The political group officially jumped into the presidential race on Friday during a private meeting without announcing any candidates to serve on the Unity ticket. The organization decided to launch a ticket because they think that voters want an alternative to the two major party leaders — Biden and Trump.
Speculation into who would join the ticket has been building for months, but several high-profile lawmakers such as former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) have all ruled out third-party presidential bids.
Following Friday’s private meeting, outlets reported No Labels is considering Geoff Duncan, the Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, to lead the unity ticket. Rawlings diverted the rumors when Smerconish pressed him on Saturday. He said No Labels hopes to select candidates for their ticket on March 14 or no later than mid-April.
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“We have just gotten those delegates to say, let’s move ahead enthusiastically with this. Next week, we’re going to unveil the process from here on out and talk about who’s doing what to whom,” Rawlings said.
“All these names have been speculated, there’s been names since — you’ve been talking about it for a long time — and everything is speculation at this point. And so no news to bring you this, today,” Rawlings added.
