How Can I Get Involved?
Current & Past Initiatives
The 2024 Elections: Where We Are, Where We Go From Here
Lunch Discussion & Town Hall
On February 13, Leadership Now Arizona co-hosted a public town hall, bringing together nearly 100 voters and community leaders. The event featured a fireside chat with John Fees, Founding Member of Leadership Now Arizona, and Elizabeth Neumann, former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, discussing rising political extremism, civic engagement, and solutions to rebuild trust in democracy.
“We must set a new standard—violence and intimidation in politics cannot be normalized. It’s up to civil society, businesses, and leaders to reset what is acceptable behavior.” — Elizabeth Neumann
“Now is not the time for indifference. Business leaders must step up and tell a different story.” — John Fees
Statement by Business Leaders on the 2024 Election in Arizona
On election day, a cross-partisan group of over 65 business and community leaders across Arizona released a statement calling on all Arizonans to uphold election safety, factual integrity, and peaceful transition of power during the 2024 election.
Business Leaders Ask Arizona Federal Senate Candidates to Pledge Support for Free and Fair Elections
On August 15, 2024, Leadership Now Arizona asked U.S. Senate candidates Kari Lake and Congressman Ruben Gallego to sign a pledge supporting free and fair elections, based on six key principles.
Congressman Ruben Gallego has signed the pledge, while Kari Lake has yet to respond, raising concerns among Arizona business leaders about her commitment to free and fair elections. Show your support by signing on to the Federal Candidate Pledge to Respect Elections.
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.
Statements & Press
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Leadership Now Arizona Co-Founding Member John Fees joined a town hall on improving Arizona elections, emphasizing trust, civic engagement, and collaboration. “We can do better, and we can strengthen our own dialogues just by having conversations and assuming the best between neighbors,” he said.
Read the article 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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As Arizona business and community leaders, we unequivocally condemn the threats made recently by Shelby Busch, the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, toward Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.
Elections are the heart of American democracy. Officials like Stephen Richer take on the essential role of executing secure and accurate elections and must be free to do so without constant concern for their safety or that of their staff.
As members of Leadership Now Arizona, we recently issued an open letter and an op-ed reaffirming our support for these officials amidst an increasingly hostile environment, while highlighting the critical role democracy plays in our state's economic health.
Leadership Now Arizona members will persist in speaking out and remain committed to defending our democracy from further attack.
Signed,
Adam Goodman
John Fees
Leadership Now Arizona -
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.
What is Leadership Now Arizona?
We are Arizona business and community leaders - Republicans, Independents and Democrats - who stand for a strong democracy in our state.
We believe that the stability of our economy hinges on the integrity of our democratic institutions
At a time when election results are being unduly called into question, we stand against election denialism and for non-partisan and transparent election policy and administration
We denounce threats and harassment directed toward election officials and elected representatives in our state
We pledge to work toward building a modern, responsive democracy that works for all Arizona citizens
Leadership Now Arizona is an affiliate of the Leadership Now Project, a national organization of business and thought leaders dedicated to protecting and renewing democracy.
Our Issues
Supporting Safe, Secure and Accurate Elections
Standing against extremism
Championing reforms that enhance democracy for all voters