Sen. Mark Kelly worries No Labels ticket could hurt Biden reelection prospects in Arizona

Sen. Mark Kelly expressed concern Sunday over the possibility that the political group No Labels could tip the election next year from President Joe Biden based on the efforts of “a few rich people.”

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Kelly, D-Ariz., discussed a town hall in New Hampshire scheduled for Monday featuring Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

The event is sponsored by No Labels, a group that bills itself as a centrist alternative to both major parties and has qualified as a political party for the Arizona ballot next year.

Democrats have complained that No Labels is little more than a spoiler group intended to thwart Biden’s reelection funded by people who in some cases have ties to Republican politics.

“I don’t think No Labels is a political party. I mean, this is a few individuals putting dark money behind an organization, and that’s not what our democracy should be about,” Kelly said.

“It should not be about a few rich people. So I’m obviously concerned about what’s going on here in Arizona and across the country.”

Manchin’s Senate term expires next year and he faces a difficult reelection in a state that tilts Republican. For months, he has refused to rule out a presidential run.

His appearance in New Hampshire with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican, will only fuel speculation that Manchin could be part of No Labels’ “unity ticket” running for the White House next year.

Kelly acknowledged he has discussed Manchin’s potential political moves with him, but declined to recount the conversation publicly.

“I talk to Sen. Manchin frequently about a lot of things, this included,” Kelly said. “I’m not going to go into details of conversations I have with my fellow senators. It’s sort of a policy of mine.”

Kelly said he thinks Biden has a “very strong record” and time to make his case to the public.

Last week the Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes over No Labels. The Democrats want Fontes, who is a Democrat, to suspend No Labels’ eligibility until it divulges its donors, as the state requires parties to do.

No Labels has qualified for the ballot in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado and Oregon. Its presence in Arizona could be the most consequential because the state was the closest contest in the 2020 presidential election, with Biden defeating former President Donald Trump by about 11,000 votes.

Kelly, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also urged patience in America’s NATO allies providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Ukraine may not be able to fly the F-16’s until next year, a timetable that may cause concern they are too slow in joining the fight.

“An F-16 is not like training somebody in how to use (an M777) Howitzer. It’s a lot more complex,” said Kelly, who is a former Navy combat pilot.

“They’ve got to stand up essentially a squadron to do the training. They’ve got to get airplanes there to train the Ukrainian pilots. They’ve got to identify the pilots. They’ve got to come up with a syllabus," he said. "… This is going to take some time. I don’t think it’s being slow-walked.”

Kelly referenced his April meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, saying, “They weren’t exactly sure, between him and his national security team, what they wanted to use the F-16 for. I mean, you’re talking about possibly a dozen different missions.”

That includes suppressing enemy air defenses, he said.

Kelly visited Ukraine in April with Manchin, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and country music star Brad Paisley, a West Virginian who heads a charity to help rebuild Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Mark Kelly worries No Labels ticket could hurt Biden in Arizona