1. Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson led the No Labels Party of Arizona into what critics call a political and legal dead end through a series of highly controversial rebranding moves, failed legal strategies, and ultimate primary losses. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Johnson_(American_politician)), [2] (https://www.arizonaagenda.com/p/rebranding-independence), [3] (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/arizona-independent-party-midterms.html), [4] (https://pro.stateaffairs.com/az/elections/paul-johnson-backs-biggs), [5] (https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/25/judge-voids-arizona-independent-party-name-change)After the national No Labels movement failed to field a 2024 presidential candidate, Johnson took over the state chapter and attempted to turn it into a dedicated home for Arizona’s 1.5 million unaffiliated voters. However, his strategy unraveled due to several critical missteps: [1] (https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/25/judge-voids-arizona-independent-party-name-change), [2] (https://www.arizonaagenda.com/p/rebranding-independence)1. The Disastrous “Independent Party” RebrandIn late 2025, Johnson officially decoupled the state party from the national organization and successfully petitioned Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to rebrand No Labels as the Arizona Independent Party. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Independent_Party), [2] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouJsdWzNI7I&t=64)The Backlash: The state’s Republican and Democratic parties, alongside the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, immediately sued. They argued that co-opting the word “Independent”—when over a third of Arizonans are registered as unaffiliated independents—was a deliberately misleading “bait and switch” designed to trick voters into joining a specific third party. [1] (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/arizona-independent-party-midterms.html), [2] (https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/25/judge-voids-arizona-independent-party-name-change)The Legal Defeat: In March 2026, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gregory Como ruled against Johnson. The judge declared that Fontes lacked the legal authority to grant the name change without Johnson collecting entirely new voter signatures. The party was forced to legally revert to the toxic and confusing “No Labels” brand on the 2026 ballot. [1] (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2026/03/26/arizona-independent-party-to-appeal-ruling-erasing-name/89319896007/), [2] (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/arizona-independent-party-midterms.html), [3] (https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/25/judge-voids-arizona-independent-party-name-change), [4] (https://www.azfamily.com/video/2026/03/26/bait-switch-judge-rejects-arizona-independent-party-name-change/)2. Loss of Candidate ControlJohnson’s strategy also suffered a major legal setback due to a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. The court determined that because Arizona operates with an open primary system, the No Labels Party could not legally block outside candidates from running under their ballot line. This stripped Johnson and party leadership of the ability to strictly handpick centrist candidates, effectively leaving their newly minted ballot line vulnerable to being hijacked by anyone who wanted to use it. [1] (https://www.kold.com/video/2026/07/10/fact-finders-no-labels-party-arizona-primary-ballot-amid-name-change-dispute-2/), [2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Independent_Party)3. Total Defeat in the 2026 PrimaryThe definitive dead end for Johnson’s strategy arrived during the July 2026 Arizona Primary.Johnson and the No Labels leadership heavily backed and campaigned for their hand-chosen centrist candidate, former ASU quarterback Hugh Lytle, for governor. [1] (https://www.yourvalley.net/stories/judge-blocks-no-labels-party-from-changing-name-to-arizona-independent-party,673348), [2] (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/arizona-independent-party-midterms.html), [3] (https://www.kold.com/video/2026/07/10/fact-finders-no-labels-party-arizona-primary-ballot-amid-name-change-dispute-2/)Because they lost control of the primary process, an outsider candidate, Teri Hourihan, successfully entered the race and defeated Lytle in the primary election. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Independent_Party)4. Pivoting Back to the Two-Party SystemWith his endorsed centrist candidate defeated and his party’s legal identity in absolute limbo, Johnson effectively abandoned the independent path he spent years preaching. In August 2026, he invited conservative Republican gubernatorial nominee Andy Biggs onto his podcast, using his platform to urge his base of moderate and independent followers to back the mainstream Republican candidate instead. [1] (https://pro.stateaffairs.com/az/elections/paul-johnson-backs-biggs), [2] (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2026/03/26/arizona-independent-party-to-appeal-ruling-erasing-name/89319896007/), [3] (https://www.arizonaagenda.com/p/rebranding-independence)While Johnson continues to float long-shot ideas—such as trying to hold an official No Labels presidential primary for 2028—his 2026 strategy effectively stripped the party of its chosen identity, lost them their marquee races, and forced its leader back into the camp of the major parties he promised to disrupt.

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