The political landscape in Arizona is being reshaped as a controversial name change for a minor political party has sparked legal battles involving both major parties. The Arizona Independent Party’s rebranding from the No Labels Party has raised questions about procedural authority and electoral competition.
On December 11, the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Arizona filed a lawsuit against Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. They argue that Fontes overstepped his bounds by approving the name change requested by former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, who heads the No Labels/Arizona Independent Party.
“What Secretary Fontes has approved is not the creation of a legitimate new party under Arizona law, but a unilateral rebranding effort by a small group of party insiders without voter consent and without legal authority,” said AZ GOP Chair Gina Swoboda. She criticized the decision for lacking clarity and transparency in the voter registration process.
This legal move follows similar actions by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and the state’s Democratic Party, who have also raised concerns about potential voter confusion due to the name change. However, the Republican lawsuit focuses on the threat of increased electoral competition rather than voter confusion.
Under current Arizona law, independent candidates are required to gather more signatures than those affiliated with a party to qualify for ballots. For example, in 2024, independent candidates needed 42,303 signatures, whereas a No Labels candidate only needed 1,288. Republicans claim this change will allow “independent” candidates to bypass stringent signature requirements, thereby increasing competition for Republican candidates.
Johnson, who aims to provide a platform for independent candidates, said, “If you want to run as a Democrat or Republican, you need 6,000 signatures. If you want to run statewide as an independent, you need 45,000 signatures.”
The Legal Framework
The No Labels organization had initially qualified as a political party in Arizona to support a third-party presidential bid. However, after those plans were abandoned, the party was handed over to Johnson, who sought to rename it with an eye toward fostering independent candidates.
Both Democratic and Republican parties in Arizona argue that the name change violates state rules. They insist that Arizona law does not permit an existing party to change its name without following the established process of gathering signatures and filing paperwork with the secretary of state.
Republicans assert that Fontes should have required Johnson to start from scratch in forming a new party rather than rebranding the existing one. They claim, “The secretary allowed leadership of the new Arizona Independent Party to dragoon the supporters of the No Labels Party into their own movement.”
Fontes, however, maintains that his decision was in line with Arizona law. “While we recognize the concern from those decrying the decision, the Secretary has followed Arizona law in recognizing the name change,” his office stated last month.
Challenging the Procedures
Furthermore, Republicans allege that Fontes bypassed the Administrative Procedures Act, which requires state agencies to follow specific guidelines when implementing new rules. They argue that since no rule currently exists regarding a political party’s ability to change its name, Fontes’s decision effectively created a new rule without public input.
The lawsuit claims, “The secretary’s letter approval of the No Labels Party’s name change to the ‘Arizona Independent Party’ and his implementing guidance are a rule as defined in (state law).” Consequently, they seek a court ruling to void this new rule.
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