Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is stepping down as national co-chair of No Labels just days after members of the independent group voted to move forward with a presidential ticket.
“I gave it my all for over a year as volunteer co-chair, but it is now time to move on,” the former Republican governor told NBC News. “I wish the best for the No Labels movement, the wonderful teammates I worked with and all those throughout the country who know that now more than ever, we must put country over party at all levels of government.”
No Labels did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.
The Wall Street Journal first reported McCrory’s departure.
McCrory had been listed on No Labels’ website as a national co-chair earlier on Wednesday, but his name was removed by the evening. Benjamin F. Chavis is still listed as national co-chair. Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., is the group’s founding chairman.
No Labels has not yet announced a presidential ticket, though national convention chair Mike Rawlings said in a statement last week that the group wanted to “move immediately to identify candidates to serve on the Unity presidential ticket.”
The organization said last week that it will announce the process for candidate selection on Thursday.
McCrory defended the organization’s mission on Friday in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW,” arguing that “the two parties are failing us.”
People want “common sense solutions to some very complex issues that are being kicked down the road,” he said.
No Labels has noted that many voters are open to voting for an independent candidate because of the unpopular rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. However, they have been criticized by liberal-leaning groups as a possible spoiler ticket that could hand the 2024 election to Trump.
The group has rejected that argument, saying that the “charge is being peddled by people who want to scare the public, sow doubts, and limit Americans’ choice at the ballot box.”McCrory served as governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. He lost his re-election bid to Democratic opponent Roy Cooper. In 2022, McCrory lost the GOP Senate primary to Trump-backed candidate Ted Budd, who went on to win in the general election.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
