Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan will not run with No Labels as it seeks a 2024 candidate

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a leading contender in No Labels’ push to recruit a presidential nominee, has ruled out a 2024 bid.

Duncan, a Republican, had been in communication with the centrist group in recent weeks about running for the White House under the No Labels banner this fall. The well-funded organization has already secured ballot access in more than a dozen states.

“After careful deliberation, I have withdrawn my name from consideration for the No Labels presidential ticket,” Duncan said in a statement. “It was an honor to be approached, and I am grateful to all those who are engaged in good-faith efforts to offer Americans a better choice than the Trump vs. Biden re-match.”

The former Georgia leader becomes the latest would-be candidate to turn down No Labels, a list that includes Republican former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Republican former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Democratic retiring West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.

No Labels has been working aggressively — and privately — to field a so-called “unity ticket” designed to provide voters with an alternative to former President Donald Trump, a Republican, and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the general election.

READ MORE Early voting to start in Wisconsin for president and constitutional amendments Supreme Court rejects appeal by former New Mexico county commissioner banned for Jan. 6 insurrection Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he running for president?

Polls suggest many Americans don’t want a 2020 rematch, a dynamic No Labels sees as an opening to offer a bipartisan ticket. But Democrats are especially worried that a No Labels candidate would undermine Biden’s reelection.

Duncan, who has been critical of Trump, said he would continue focusing on efforts to improve the GOP “so we can elect more common-sense conservative candidates in the future.”

Duncan’s announcement comes less than two weeks after No Labels’ delegates voted to move forward with the process of nominating a candidate.

No Labels did not immediately respond when asked to comment on Duncan’s announcement.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.