The future of the No Labels Party in Kansas has become the subject of a growing legal and political dispute, with newly elected party chairman David Miller filing a lawsuit to prevent the organization from losing its status as a recognized political party. On May 29, Miller asked a Shawnee County judge to block Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab from dissolving the party, arguing that the state’s action was improper. According to the Sunflower State Journal, Miller is seeking an injunction to stop the termination of No Labels Kansas and preserve its ballot status.

The conflict follows a May 15 request submitted to the Secretary of State’s office by Shane Mathis, who identified himself as secretary and treasurer of No Labels Kansas. In that letter, Mathis formally requested that the state terminate recognition of No Labels Kansas as a political party. He stated that the organization had originally been created solely for the purpose of potentially nominating candidates for president and vice president. Because No Labels ultimately declined to nominate candidates in 2024 and ‘had no plans to do so in the future’, Mathis wrote that the party’s central purpose no longer existed and requested that all official recognition be withdrawn. Acting on that request, the Secretary of State’s office announced that No Labels Kansas would cease to be a recognized political party and directed county election officials to change registered No Labels voters to unaffiliated status.

Miller and his allies, however, have been pursuing a dramatically different vision for the party. In April, members of No Labels Kansas unanimously selected Miller, a former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, former member of the Kansas House of Representatives, and former chair of the Kansans for Life political action committee, to lead the organization. At the time, Miller said No Labels Kansas intended to become a long-term political force in the state and challenge what he described as the dominance of the Republican and Democratic parties. The organization claimed more than 6,000 members and expressed confidence that it could become Kansas’ third-largest political party. Miller argued that many voters were dissatisfied with both major parties and wanted an alternative at the ballot box.

Under Miller’s leadership, No Labels Kansas signaled plans to actively participate in elections well beyond 2024. According to reports published earlier this month, the Kansas affiliate intended to remain active in the 2026 election cycle and beyond, despite the national No Labels organization having abandoned plans for independent electoral activity more than two years ago. Party leaders criticized both major parties and argued that Kansas voters were being underserved by the existing political system. Miller pointed to legislative actions in Topeka as evidence that the state’s political establishment had become disconnected from ordinary Kansans, while party treasurer John Altevogt criticized bipartisan support for economic development incentives connected to efforts to attract the Kansas City Chiefs to the state.

The dispute now appears to center on who has the authority to determine the future of No Labels Kansas and whether the party should continue operating as an independent political organization. Miller’s lawsuit seeks to prevent the state from carrying out the termination requested by Mathis and preserve the party’s recognized status while the matter is resolved. The legal challenge comes amid a changing landscape for minor parties in Kansas, including a merger between the Free State Party and United Kansas Party. For now, the future of No Labels Kansas remains uncertain as the courts consider whether the party will continue as a recognized political organization or whether the Secretary of State’s decision to terminate its status will stand.