Defending the ‘Soul of the Nation’ and Ending the War on No Labels

Dear Democratic Party Chair,

We are lifelong Democrats and leaders of the No Labels movement, and we write to you with profound concern about the recent conduct of the Democratic National Committee.

A year ago, President Joe Biden stepped forward on the stage of Independence Hall in Philadelphia to discuss the "Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation."

In that hallowed space, he called on Americans to protect “the flame of liberty.”

But, today, the DNC is trying to extinguish that flame with a heavy-handed effort to limit Americans’ choices in the 2024 election.

And we hope you will not be a party to this undemocratic campaign.

As reported by CBS News, the DNC is sharing guidance with state and local party chairs encouraging them to denounce No Labels, a movement that has worked for over a decade to provide a voice for America’s commonsense majority, as a “threat to our democracy.” The DNC takes issue with our effort to get on state voting ballots so we can potentially offer up a Unity presidential ticket and to provide the additional choices millions of Americans so clearly want. As you know, state ballot initiatives empower citizens and are often used by members of the Democratic Party as an expression of “direct democracy.”

President Biden just told ProPublica in an interview that he may disagree with our political analysis, but he recognizes our “democratic right” to do our work.

On Sept. 26, however, the state Democratic Party executive director in Utah sent a disturbing communique to Democratic county chairs, urging them to “stop” No Labels “NOW.” We’re not naïve, and we don’t expect the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee to welcome competition that threatens their power and influence. But as lifelong Democrats, we do expect the leaders of our party – which has always championed ballot access and voting rights – to refrain from blatantly antidemocratic behavior.

Unfortunately, that’s precisely what the DNC and some of its state leaders are engaged in. This isn’t an attack on No Labels – it's an attack on the most fundamental democratic and constitutional principles that the Democratic Party is supposed to defend. And it is antithetical to the “free and fair” values that President Biden implored us to defend.

It is the American people, “we the people,” who decide who appears on ballots, and it is American voters who have shown support for No Labels by signing petitions in states across the nation to add No Labels to the 2024 ballot.

The DNC is part of a broader and more organized campaign to subvert No Labels’ ballot access efforts that are on the razor’s edge of violating federal law. Engaging in tactics such as these is a blatant violation of the basic constitutional rights that No Labels and its supporters enjoy under the First Amendment rights of freedom of association and freedom of speech.

No Labels will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the rights of Americans.

We urge you to tell the leaders in the Democratic National Committee to stand down and halt all actions to restrict voter choices in this or any other election and to tell your state and national leadership that you will not participate in them. We urge you to tell your state and national leadership that you will not participate in actions that threaten the very principles of liberty and freedom that are the bedrock of our democracy.

Please make it clear you’re committed to giving all Americans the voice and choice they want and deserve.

Please write to Democratic Party leaders to express your opposition to this anti-democracy campaign.

We look forward to being in conversation with you, honoring the flame of liberty.

With respect,

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Founding Chairman, No Labels
Gov. Jay Nixon, Director of Ballot Integrity, No Labels
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., National Co-Chair, No Labels