The third-party organization No Labels on Thursday laid out the process it plans to use to select candidates for a presidential ticket in November's general election, creating a committee that will vet contenders to face President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
"Today, No Labels is taking the next step toward providing it by announcing our process to choose the candidates for a unity ticket," former Sen. Joe Lieberman, the chairman of No Labels, said in a news release.
The group will launch a group called the Country Over Party Committee to aid in vetting potential nominees ahead of No Labels' virtual convention this spring. The group showed photos of a few members of the committee in the release video, including No Labels attorney Dan Webb and national co-chair Ben Chavis, and Lieberman, who represented Connecticut in the Senate first as a Democrat and then as an independent, noted that he will be part of the vetting committee, as well.
Lieberman's statement also left open the possibility that No Labels will not find an acceptable ticket.
"If we find two candidates that meet our high threshold, we will recommend that ticket to No Labels’ delegates for a nomination vote at a national nominating convention that will be held later this spring," Lieberman added in the release.
In a video moderated by former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, No Labels' national convention chair, he said, "The committee will consider input from the No Labels community and serve as representatives in meeting with potential candidates."
To be considered for the No Labels Unity Ticket, the candidates must agree to the organization's six core beliefs, Rawlings said, including "that we care about this country more than demands of any political party."
And candidates "must endorse the key elements of the No Labels commonsense policy booklet, which includes 30 ideas to address our nation’s most important challenges, ranging from immigration and border security to the budget flexion and growing threats from abroad," Rawlings added.
Lieberman said Thursday in an interview with CNN that a candidate could be announced as soon as next Thursday.
Last week, No Labels said it would be "accelerating" its candidate outreach after its delegates voted to put forward a ticket for November.
No Labels has secured ballot positions in 16 states, it says, including the key swing states Arizona and Nevada.
