No Labels party can't stop Arizona members from running in local elections [View all]

Source: Courthouse News Service

July 11, 2025


(CN) — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday said that No Labels, a centrist political party, can't stop its members in Arizona from competing in local and national elections, even if the party's leadership only wants to field candidates for the U.S. presidency and vice presidency.

In an unanimous decision, the appellate panel reversed a trial judge's permanent injunction that had prohibited the Arizona Secretary of State from accepting so-called statements of interests by No Labels of Arizona members who wanted to participate in last year's primary elections as the party's candidates for a number of local and national offices.

Arizona's interest in ensuring voter and candidate participation in the democratic process, in avoiding voter confusion, and in limiting opportunities for fraud and corruption, outweighed No Labels' freedom of association rights under the First Amendment, the panel said in the ruling written by U.S. Circuit Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr.

"No Labels attempts to assert top-down control by dictating who may be on its ballot," Mendoza, a Joe Biden appointee, said. "But a party does not have 'monolithic control over its own members and supporters.' In fact, we have long rejected the idea that political parties have the right to nominate 'whomever they want, however they want.'"

Read more: https://www.courthousenews.com/no-labels-party-cant-stop-arizona-members-from-running-in-local-elections/