Employers have a role to play in strengthening our civic institutions because election legitimacy is an economic imperative.
In Arizona, the need for business leaders to lean in is even more vital. The 2026 election landscape is challenging:
federal cuts to election-security funding,
executive actions asserting authority over state election law,
repeated federal demands for Arizona’s voter data,
and in-state conflicts over election operations discussed in the July 4th edition of the Wall Street Journal.
Last week, I moderated an hour-long webinar discussion with officials and leading experts on the election-risk landscape and its implications for Arizona’s economy.
The briefing also featured new survey data on Arizonans’ trust in elections — and what voters across the political spectrum think about election transparency, accuracy, and accessibility. The panel included the following community leaders.
Kate Brophy McGee, Chair, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
Garrett Archer, Elections Analyst, ABC15 Arizona
Amanda Burke, Executive Vice President, Center for the Future of Arizona
Roy Herrera, Election Law Expert; Founding Partner, Herrera Arellano LLP
It is clear from the discussion that the conditions for a contested election are in place and continue to build. Prolonged uncertainty over vote counting, certification, or election outcomes doesn’t just erode public trust; it drives market volatility, workforce anxiety, and lasting reputational harm to Arizona.
Fortunately, Arizona’s elections have safeguards: paper ballots, public testing, audits, bipartisan oversight, judicial review. That system deserves respect and protection, not politicization.
Ahead of Tuesday’s primary, 57 Arizona business leaders, including me, signed on to a statement by Leadership Now Arizona, a centrist coalition of business leaders, making that case: election legitimacy isn’t a partisan issue, it’s an economic one. We are committed to: standing with election officials and workers, calling out disinformation regardless of who spreads it, defending Arizona’s constitutional authority over its own elections, and affirming certified results no matter who wins.
Election uncertainty and disinformation don’t just threaten public trust — they threaten investment, workforce confidence, and Arizona’s reputation.
Protecting a well-designed election system isn’t a political position. It’s a commitment to the rule of law.
Even beyond Arizona and particularly at our nation’s 250 anniversary, I am proud to stand with fellow business leaders — Republicans, Independents, and Democrats — on this.
Nationally, Leadership Now has assembled hundreds of business leaders who share this commitment. In addition to the brief video below, the organization has prepared a memo that can help organizational leaders learn how to become involved.
In my opinion, caring about our election administration is good business. We need to be on guard for the risks that can disrupt our communities and the efforts by adversaries, both foreign and domestic, that seek to disrupt our society.
The economy and the businesses that fuel it depend on the rule of law and a stable system of elections that are respected for their fairness and accuracy. Elections should be free of intimidation and violence in all of its forms.
In Arizona, the system is built to work. The task now is to use it. Civic participation strengthens our workforce, our communities, and ultimately our economy. Participate, vote and join other community leaders who agree by signing on to Leadership Now Arizona’s statement:
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