AUGUSTA, Maine — The state’s newest official political party, No Labels, will not hold a primary this coming March, choosing instead to wait until after Super Tuesday to decide on a ticket in the presidential race.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed Friday that No Labels—which backs a centrist, pro-compromise approach to government—would qualify as Maine’s fifth official political party, in the company of the Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Green Independents.
No Labels, however, says it differs vastly from its peers in strategy.
“We’re a party because that’s how you create ballot access in Maine,” Justin Schair, the head of the No Label Maine chapter, said Sunday. “This is one ticket, one time. We don’t have a plan to have a party in the long term.”
Instead of seeking to run candidates in several state and local elections, No Labels is focused on one race: the presidency. What’s more, the party plans to reveal its ticket only if former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden win their parties’ nomination.
“The ticket will be offered after Super Tuesday, after we confirm that we're heading towards these presumptive nominees,” Joe Cunningham, the national chair of No Labels, explained.
Cunningham said the nomination process will be conducted by a private committee. and will not include a primary. This means No Label voters in Maine will not have a chance to cast a ballot until the general election unless they change parties or unenroll altogether.
No Labels has won ballot access in 13 states.