Overview
- The Maricopa County Superior Court ruling, issued Wednesday, said Secretary of State Adrian Fontes lacked authority to approve changing No Labels to the Arizona Independent Party, so the party reverts to No Labels.
- The judge said any new name requires forming a new party through fresh signatures, citing the 41,000 Arizonans who backed No Labels.
- The court rejected Fontes’ directive to re-register party members under the new label and noted that “Independent” in Arizona refers to voters with no party affiliation, which could confuse voters.
- Candidates who filed as Arizona Independent now face mismatched paperwork that may prompt lawsuits or ballot challenges, according to spokesperson Calli Jones.
- No Labels chairman Paul Johnson said he may appeal, possibly in federal court, and Fontes said he will not appeal.