Replace Sinema

AZ REPUBLIC COLUMNIST:

NO LABELS PARTY WOULD BE A “BOON FOR KYRSTEN SINEMA”

Yesterday, Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts outlined how the recent success of secretive dark money group No Labels in qualifying for ballot access could derail President Biden’s path to reelection – but would be a “boon for Sinema.”

In her column, Roberts says that the new political party “certainly will be a force in Arizona’s presidential election. As a spoiler, that is.”

She then explains that a huge beneficiary of a No Labels party line would be Arizona’s least favorite senator, Kyrsten Sinema, because it makes her job of getting on the ballot easier: 

“An independent candidate has to collect nearly six times the number of nominating signatures as someone running as a member of a political party. And No Labels, which reportedly has some deep-pocketed donors, could provide Sinema with some organizational help she will no longer be getting from Democrats next year.”

Those “deep-pocketed donors” Roberts refers to are of course the same Wall Street, corporate donors that have funded Sinema’s path to the Senate – although we can’t know the full extent, since the group is notoriously secretive over their funding. Sinema, a No Labels darling, was recently featured at their corporate strategy retreat in Miami, the same weekend she was fêted by DeSantis fan and Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman.

Another potential beneficiary of a No Labels candidate, according to Roberts? The Arizona GOP, who are no doubt gleefully watching their chances of gaining a senate seat increase, since Sinema on the ballot would be nothing more than a spoiler.

Excerpts below:

ICYMI Arizona Republic Column: Arizona’s new No Labels Party should make Donald Trump smile

Laurie Roberts // March 9, 2023 

Republicans and Democrats, move over. There’s a new political party in town.

One that’s supposed to deliver the holy grail of goodness – an alternative to the nutballs on the right and the oddballs on the left.

Centrist candidates who actually represent middle-of-the-road America.

That’s the theory, anyway.

This week, the No Labels Party qualified for Arizona’s 2024 ballot. The group turned in 41,663 valid petition signatures – easily clearing the 34,127 needed to field candidates for local, state and federal races.

This could be good news for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and terrible news for a far-right partisan like Rep. Andy Biggs.

[…]

But this is the first time the group has made a push to become a political party. Already, No Labels has staked out places on the ballot in Arizona and Colorado, and it’s hoping to compete in a number of other key battleground states, including Nevada, North Carolina and Florida.

It certainly will be a force in Arizona’s presidential election.

As a spoiler, that is.

[…]

It could be a boon for Sinema, who changed her party registration last year from Democratic to independent.

Sinema hasn’t yet said whether she’d join No Labels but it seems like a no-brainer.

An independent candidate has to collect nearly six times the number of nominating signatures as someone running as a member of political party. And No Labels, which reportedly has some deep-pocketed donors, could provide Sinema with some organizational help she will no longer be getting from Democrats next year.

[…]

Already there are several bills in the Legislature to try to stop it.

But Republicans can’t stop No Labels.

Indeed, why would they want to?

Read the full column here. 

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Paid for by Change for Arizona 2024 PAC