Arizona Business Leaders: Election Legitimacy Is an Economic Imperative (2026)
Election Legitimacy Is an Economic Imperative
Arizona business leaders — Republicans, Independents, and Democrats — signed an open letter affirming that free, fair, and secure elections are foundational to a thriving economy and stable communities.
Add Your NameAs Arizona prepares for the 2026 primary and general elections, 50+ business leaders from across the state have come together around a shared conviction: that free, fair, and secure elections are fundamental to Arizona’s economic success. We’re calling on the state’s business community to help protect that process and strengthen public confidence in it.
This year’s elections will take place in a challenging environment — federal cuts to election-security funding, executive actions asserting authority over state election law, repeated federal demands for Arizona’s voter data, and an ongoing dispute over control of election operations in Maricopa County.
Despite that pressure, Arizona’s decentralized election system — built on bipartisan oversight, paper ballots, public testing, audits, and judicial review — works. This work deserves respect and protection.
“Arizona’s economy depends on stability, predictability, and trust in our institutions. This year, the greater risk isn’t just to election officials — it’s to the system itself: who controls it, how it’s run, and whether that control remains grounded in law rather than politics. Protecting that system isn’t a political position. It’s a commitment to the rule of law.”
— John Fees, CEO, GradGuard; Co-Founder, Leadership Now Arizona
We’re a cross-partisan coalition of Arizona business leaders, co-founded by John Fees, CEO of GradGuard, and Adam Goodman, CEO of Goodmans. Prolonged uncertainty over election administration, vote counting, or certification can undermine investor confidence, disrupt business operations, and damage Arizona’s reputation — and that’s the risk we’re working to head off.
As voters head to the polls, business leaders across Arizona — not just in Maricopa County — have a role to play in amplifying accurate information and supporting confidence in the election process.
“Uncertainty and disinformation could undermine our state’s economic competitiveness and reputation.”
— Shelley Jones Mellon, President, RL Jones Insurance
This isn’t the first time we’ve stood behind the state’s election administration. Back in June 2024, 56 business leaders signed an open letter to county recorders and elections directors amid a wave of threats, harassment, and record officeholder turnover. This statement renews that support for the administrators, poll workers, and county officials still running elections under heightened scrutiny.
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