IN FOCUS - Dec. 19, 2025

Did you hear? Arizona has a new political party!

Or, to be more specific … a relabeled political party. 

In October, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes authorized the renaming of the No Labels Party to the Arizona Independent Party, which became official earlier this month. You may recall No Labels as the quixotic effort by national centrists who formed in Arizona to run a third party presidential candidate in 2024. No Labels’ attempt fell short, but party leaders have now rebranded and transitioned their voters and ballot access to the new party name.

Cue the  collective freak out and respective lawsuits from the Arizona Democratic and Republican parties, along with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission. They argue the name change will create mass confusion, especially since Arizonans who register as “party not declared” have traditionally been known as “independents.”

As ACEC Executive Director Tom Collins said, “Thousands of voters are put at risk. More than 42,000 Arizonans will have their registration effectively changed into a party many never knowingly chose, with no notice and no opt-out up front.” Secretary of State Fontes counters that he has no authority under state law to block a political party from renaming itself.

Politically, the newly-rebranded Independent Party may create more competition for the Arizona GOP and Democratic Party. As members of a recognized party, candidates running under the “Independent” nameplate will require far fewer signatures to qualify for the ballot, relative to candidates who run unaffiliated with a party.