Arizona Business Leaders Stand with Election Officials
As Arizona business leaders, we support election officials against rising threats, emphasizing democracy's role in the state's economy. We commit to protecting election integrity and fighting election denialism while helping to address challenges such as election official turnover.
To the County Recorders and County Elections Directors in Arizona:
We, the undersigned, are a cross-partisan group of business and community leaders - Republicans, Independents and Democrats - in industries across Arizona who are concerned about the prevalence of unwarranted attacks on you and your staff.
We firmly believe that maintaining Arizona’s strong economy requires a healthy, vibrant and durable democracy in our state. More jobs, higher wages, and greater economic growth in Arizona require consistent democratic norms and institutions. We deeply appreciate your willingness to take on the essential role of executing safe, secure and accurate elections in such deeply polarized times. Your work is the glue that bonds our processes and upholds our democracy.
We are acutely aware of the threats of violence that make the job of administering our elections more difficult than ever. That the Secretary of State felt he needed live shooter training for the workforce; that a county election official had her two dogs poisoned; and that - after 10 years of service - the County Recorder of Yavapai County resigned after relentless threats that led to law enforcement protection – is all outrageous and unacceptable.
The impact on your ranks has been devastating, with turnover in leadership in nearly every county in the state, Republican and Democrat alike. According to an Issue One report, 98 percent of Arizonans will see the 2024 election administered by someone different than the officials who administered the 2020 election. This represents more turnover than any other state in the country.
We also stand in support of the countless number of volunteers and temporary workers who play vital roles in helping you administer the elections. They, too, have been subject to harassment and threats, and they are civic servants doing their best to help you.
Over the course of 2024 and beyond, we commit to using our voices to speak out against attacks and threats on those administering our elections. We will ask our colleagues and peers, along with our state’s elected officials, to stand with us, support election officials across the state, call out election denialism where we see it, and commit to efforts that defend our democracy from further attack. And we will continue to support safe, secure and accurate elections.
Sincerely,
Leadership Now Arizona
In the Press
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Op-ed in Arizona Republic by two founding members of Leadership Now Arizona, John Fees and Adam Goodman. In it, they speak to the profound risks to Arizona’s elections from violent threats against election officials – and the important role of business leaders in pushing back.
"98% of Arizonans will see the 2024 election administered by someone other than the officials who administered the 2020 election" and "45% of local election officials said they fear for the safety of their colleagues."
Read the article "As CEOs, we will not tolerate threats against Arizona election workers" here. -
Leadership Now Arizona founding member Adam Goodman spoke with the Washington Post following our statement condemning Shelby Busch of the Maricopa County Republican Committee for making lynching threats against fellow Republican Stephen Richer.
“Adam Goodman, a prominent businessman who leads a local organization opposing violent rhetoric and threats against election workers, condemned Busch’s comments. He said he blamed Trump for the “rise in violence and antisemitism.” Trump, he said, “has horribly failed” on setting the appropriate tone required of a national leader.
“I don’t believe it’s an idle threat, because we’ve seen too many acts of violence against election workers,” said Goodman, who describes himself as a political independent. Goodman said Busch “is sending a message to others that that is acceptable behavior.” Arizona, he said, is home to “a sector of the electorate who is not engaged with reality” and is “whipping each other up into a frenzy.”
“Violence,” he said, “is a real threat and possibility.”
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Questions or Press Inquiries
If you have any questions, please email us at: info@leadershipnowarizona.org