Former Dallas mayors Mike Rawlings and Tom Leppert are uniting behind the push for a third 2024 U.S. Presidential candidate from the organization “No Labels.”
Rawlings, a Democrat, and Leppert, a Republican, each served as non-partisan Dallas mayors who were elected to solve problems and not serve political parties.
They say that approach is lacking in the current national government. They spoke with NBC 5 Friday about their support for No Labels.
“I think we’ve got a system where both of the political parties are in a position where the system is working for them, but the system is not working for Mike and I, or anybody else in a nuclear populace. We’re not solving problems. We’re not finding ways we can come together so we can go forward as a nation,” Leppert said.
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In the current political climate, Rawlings said the parties have an incentive not to solve major problems.
“And if the parties came together we could solve the problems. The problem is they may not get elected if they come together. They want to make sure they are political enemies. And that’s how they raise money and that’s how they get elected,” Rawlings said.
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We’re not solving problems. We’re not finding ways we can come together so we can go forward as a nation.
Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
So in the next Presidential election, Leppert and Rawlings said they are promoting the option of No Labels, an organization that began 12 years ago.
The two former mayors said polls show a majority of Americans do not want to see a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
So, if those are the two major party candidates, No Labels is planning an April 14-15, 2024, nominating convention in Dallas to select an alternative ticket, a candidate for president and a vice president, one Democrat and one Republican.
We’re in this because we see a major shift in America right now and they’re saying there’s got to be a new way.
Former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
“If it doesn’t turn out to be that situation, then the No Labels, in terms of putting a name on the ballot, is not going to go forward unless those two candidates are the ones that are on the ballot,” Leppert said.
Some political observers suggest the No Labels effort will just spoil the campaign of one of the other parties as some past third party candidates have done.
“Tom and I have other things to do than being a spoiler, OK? We have no interest to participate in losing the election for one side or the other, OK? We’re in this because we see a major shift in America right now and they’re saying there’s got to be a new way,” Rawlings said.
The former mayors say No Labels is raising money and working to get on the ballot in all 50 states.
