Wisconsin Business Leaders Defend Election Administrator

Update (January 16, 2024) — Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ann Peacock declared Friday that she agreed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), which argued that election system stability heading into the 2024 election was in the public interest. Her decision cleared Wisconsin elections chief Meagan Wolfe to remain in her role, overruling a Republican effort to oust her and name a new leader.

Leadership Now, along with Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, supported WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe's bid to retain her seat, submitting an amicus brief on Nov. 22. Wolfe had faced scrutiny for three years following false claims by former President Trump about his election loss and 2020 election procedures in the state, and Wisconsin legislative leaders had filed a lawsuit seeking a new WEC appointment.

Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy released the following statement featured in WisPolitics: “Ms. Wolfe’s unwavering leadership at the Wisconsin Elections Commission guarantees stability and transparency in the electoral process, creating an environment vital for business growth. This ruling ensures our top election official can keep doing the important work of administering free and fair elections. In an era where political stability shapes business decisions, this case underscores the imperative for Wisconsinites to stay actively engaged. The inseparable link between a resilient democracy and a flourishing business environment demands our collective commitment.” – John Florsheim (Leadership Now Member)

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On November 27, 2023, Leadership Now Wisconsin Chair Anoop Prakash and Member Tom Florsheim Jr. talked with Anthony DaBruzzi of Spectrum News 1 regarding an amicus brief that Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, in collaboration with Leadership Now Project, filed in support of Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe after state legislators attempted to remove her from office without cause. 

The brief emphasizes the need for impartial election administration and warns that Wolfe's removal could destabilize Wisconsin's democracy ahead of the 2024 election.

The legal challenge to Meagan Wolfe's position arose from a lawsuit filed in Dane County by state legislative leaders who aimed to force the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) to select a new administrator. Notably, Wolfe has held the role of state Elections Administrator since her appointment in February 2018. She received unanimous confirmation for a four-year term from the GOP-controlled Senate in May 2019. However, a State Senate vote in September to remove her was later acknowledged as symbolic and held no legal significance. 

During the interview, Prakash emphasized the importance of allowing Meagan Wolfe to continue her role. He highlighted the need for the legislature to focus on economic development and job creation rather than repeatedly investigating past elections. 

Florsheim emphasized the bipartisan nature of their efforts, uniting business leaders from both Republican and Democratic backgrounds to protect democracy against threats and attempts by the legislature to limit voter access.

"Everyone has to realize that running elections in a big state like Wisconsin is a complicated process," Florsheim said. "Here we have somebody that ran an election through a pandemic, which has a lot of challenges in itself, that did an exemplary job, and she's received accolades from both Republicans and Democrats."

Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy's actions underscore the importance of upholding democratic values, especially during crucial elections. Their bipartisan approach emphasizes that democracy's strength transcends party lines, relying on collective commitment to protect its foundations.

Watch the news segment here. 

(Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)

Leadership Now Project Files Amicus Brief in Disney v. DeSantis, Highlighting Government Retaliation as Threat to Business and Democracy

Orlando, FL, August 10, 2023 – Leadership Now Project has filed an amicus brief in Walt Disney Parks v. DeSantis, underscoring the threat that government retaliation poses to businesses and democracy. The brief highlights the alarming trend of state governments punishing companies for their constitutionally protected speech. 

The health of the U.S. democratic system and the economy relies on business, which are strained by the threat of government retaliation, hindering investment and innovation. Leadership Now Member and CityView CEO, Sean Burton warns of the risks, stating, "This case is particularly egregious because it involves government interference with established contracts. Such interference jeopardizes economic prosperity by decreasing the ability of companies to be autonomous and manage themselves. It prevents companies from investing in ways that create the most value for their employees, customers, and shareholders."

The brief underlines that this case relates to action by political leaders with little precedent in the United States and reminds us of what the future could look like for American democracy and business — a nation where political leaders could use their office to cancel contracts or enact laws directed at specific companies with whom they disagree. 

Leadership Now Member and Executive Chairperson of Jack Cooper, Sarah Amico shares her concern in the precedent this could set, explaining, “The state has weaponized the power of government to punish a private business for exercising its right to free speech on behalf of employees, customers and stakeholders. This kind of retaliation is, simply put, antithetical to the core tenets of U.S. democracy. As the Executive Chairperson of one of North America’s largest women-owned logistics businesses, I am deeply concerned about the outcome of this case. American businesses invest in our communities, create jobs for our families, and bolster our nation’s competitiveness. Government can be an important partner in that work — but only if it defends a key element contributing to the stability of the American economic system — the well-settled principle that contracts will be enforced and upheld."  

Leadership Now's CEO, Daniella Ballou-Aares, points out that “Leadership Now submitted a brief because we believe it is essential that business leaders stand together and respond when political leaders use their power to punish companies who express alternative views than them.” As U.S. businesses face mounting pressures, the threat of government retaliation only amplifies challenges, endangering economic security and democracy. By taking a clear position on this case, the Leadership Now Project’s membership of business leaders aims to protect democratic stability against these threats.

Daniella Ballou-Aares discussed the threat of political retribution in depth with Triple Pundit Managing Editor Mary Mazzoni: Beyond Disney: Government Overreach Threatens Free Speech and Good Business, Executives Say

Leadership Now Honoree Named PA Secretary of State & Honored by President Biden

Defenders of democracy are often unsung heroes, but every so often their deeds are so significant that they cannot go unrecognized. We were delighted to see one such hero recently receive national recognition for his commitment to protecting our democracy. This week, Former Philadelphia City Election Commissioner Al Schmidt was named Secretary of State by Pennsylvania governor-elect Josh Shapiro and honored with a Presidential Citizens Medal by President Biden.

2022 Leadership Now Award presented to Al Schmidt in May 2022

At our 2022 Annual Member Meeting in May, we presented the Leadership Now Award to Al for his commitment to election integrity which never wavered in the face of intense pressure, misinformation and threats. As a fierce defender of the electoral process, we are delighted to see him selected to champion democracy in a statewide role and recognized with the nation's second-highest civilian honor. 

Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to our democracy, Al!

How to Boost Your Brand Through Civic Engagement

With voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections at the second highest level in more than 40 years, many businesses are seizing the opportunity to engage stakeholders and tie their brand to civic engagement.

A recent Inc. Magazine article lays out four ways companies can promote their brand during an election season:

1. Provide accurate and accessible voter information.

2. Make it easier for employees to vote by giving them paid time off.

3. Focus on one issue important to the company and its stakeholders.

4. Help voters get to the polls.

Our work was highlighted in the piece: ”One of the most commonly reported barriers of getting to the polls is getting time off from work, according to a report from Leadership Now Project, an organization formed by a group of Harvard Business School graduates who seek to improve governance.”

Read the full article: https://www.inc.com/xintian-tina-wang/midterm-election-2022-campaigns-brands.html

Smooth Midterm Elections Relieve CEOs

“As long as the political system isn’t functioning, CEOs are going to be pulled in all the time to solve political issues . . . So it is in [their] interest to have a functioning system,” said our CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares in a recent Financial Times article titled: “Business Leaders See a Split Congress as Reason to Celebrate.”

Daniella also shared that several of the Leadership Now Members expressed “a lot of relief” that the midterm elections ran smoothly.

Read the full story here: https://www.ft.com/content/3428b2bc-a2d8-4df3-9247-20e1aaff2de8.

5 Articles about Democracy You Must Read Before the Midterms

At Leadership Now, we understand there is an influx of news from a wide variety of sources about democracy. Therefore, we regularly curate the latest, trustworthy information from our members, researchers, and media sources into this Democracy Digest.

Latest Democracy News

Why Business Leaders Should Take an Active Role in Preserving Democracy

At Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, execs from Edelman, the Leadership Now Project, and Seventh Generation discussed how leaders should weigh in on thorny social issues.

Former NFL Commissioner Stresses Need to Protect Democracy

"No outside adversary, no internal critic, no individual or institution, and no ideology—can be permitted to destroy or diminish our democracy," states former NFL commissioner and LNP member Paul Tagliabue in his recent Newsweek article.

Corporate America Has Embraced ‘Both Sides’ Political Spending - That Has to Stop

In this article, we make the business case and provide a pathway for updating political giving practices.

Independent Women Hold the Keys to Power in the Midterms

Women who don't identify as Republican or Democrat will make the greatest difference in key 2022 congressional race outcomes. LNP member Tom Rogers shares findings on their viewpoints from our recent survey in this article.

Wisconsin Business Execs praise Gov. Evers for Pledging to Accept Election Results

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured a new ad produced by Project Democracy PAC last week. Four Wisconsin business leaders, including members Anoop Prakash and John Florsheim, made the business case for why they support Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. The ad will run through election day. Our members Kahlil Byrd, Patrick McGinnis, and Minh-Thu Pham are directors of the PAC, which is endorsing a slate of democracy-focused candidates in the midterm elections.

A Little Something Extra…

We know that the seriousness of our current social and political environment can be draining; therefore, we also regularly highlight something of interest beyond the need-to-know updates. This week, we are featuring the Broadway revival of The 1776 Project. “This new 1776 means less to reanimate the nation’s founding than to talk back—or even down—to it,” writes Jane Kamensky, the Trumbull Professor of American History at Harvard.

Women Registered as Independents in Swing States Can Influence Midterms...If They Vote

“When it comes to deciding the key 2022 congressional races, the constituency that will make the greatest difference in the outcome is independent women. That is, women who do not currently identify as Democratic or Republican,” stated Tom Rogers, editor-at-large for Newsweek and founder of CNBC in his article.

Rogers made this assessment after viewing the results of a survey we did with our partners at Emerson College Polling. Together, we wanted to gain greater insight into the viewpoints of registered Independent women in key swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

We wanted to understand how the “most purple of voters in the most purple of states” felt about abortion, gun control, and democratic values, versus economic issues like inflation.

This infographic shows some of the key findings:

Want to dive into the data more? View the full report.

Also, you can see this information highlighted on Tom Rogers on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

50% of Business Leaders Said Dobbs Ruling Could Impact Their Location Decisions

CNBC posted an interesting article after the recent Dobbs’ ruling. Beyond the moral debate over state abortion bans or restrictions, critics say there is an economic argument against them at a time when workers are in short supply.

KEY POINTS

• A Supreme Court ruling overturning or weakening Roe v. Wade would send the issue of legalized abortion back to the states.

• Opponents argue that abortion restrictions will deter companies and workers from moving to states that enact them.

• Half the business executives CNBC surveyed said abortion laws could impact their location decisions. Only 20% said they would not.

Our organization contributed to the piece.

“At The Leadership Now Project, a group of business leaders and academics pushing corporations to address threats to democracy, CEO and cofounder Daniella Ballou-Aares worries that the DeSantis-Disney dispute in Florida, and the looming battle between some states and corporations over abortion, signify a growing problem that’s more common in emerging markets than in this country: the risk of retribution from an unstable government.

‘Fortunately, the U.S. has been seen as a very low political risk environment where you don’t need to prepare for those things,” she said. “But unfortunately, what we’re seeing now is the U.S. is becoming a higher political risk environment. That is terrible for international capital flowing to this country.’”

Read the full article: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/21/in-post-roe-v-wade-world-states-weigh-economic-cost-of-abortion-ban.html.

Fast Company: American Democracy is Under Threat. Business Leaders Must Act to Ensure Safe and Fair Elections

Below is an op-ed by Daniella Ballou-Aares, David Clunie and Rhett Buttle published in Fast Company on June 6, 2022

The erosion of democracy is bad for business and the world, but everyone benefits when businesses step up to protect it.

The health and stability of American democracy are in the midst of serious threats, putting our elections and business environment at risk. The business community can take decisive action to support democracy and turn the tide.

America was downgraded from a “full” to a “flawed” democracy by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016, and multi-pronged threats are increasing the risk that we could face serious political instability in upcoming elections. Particularly concerning is the lack of faith in election outcomes: 32% of voters believe that the 2020 election was stolen, and politicians seeking to capitalize on this belief have introduced over 600 bills in 49 states targeting voting rights since 2020. And a major American political conference is being hosted in Budapest this year to celebrate and learn from Hungary’s autocratic prime minister, Viktor Orbán.

Political instability and the erosion of the protections that democracy offers can increase the cost of capital, stifle innovation, impact supply chains, and lead to declines in the rule of law that is foundational to the success of capitalism. Most recently, when companies like Walt Disney took public stances that ran counter to the views of the state’s elected leaders, they faced swift retaliation, echoing a pattern of political retribution against business that we’ve seen in states like Georgia and Texas. Political retribution is a tool of autocrats, not leaders of the world’s proudest democracy.

Business leaders understand the connection between a thriving democracy and economy. Forty-five of the 50 largest companies in the world were founded in democracies, and according to new data from a Morning Consult survey of over 2,500 business leaders and consumers, an incredible 96% of corporate leaders agree that a well functioning democracy is “important” to a strong economy.

Over half of business leaders surveyed say their companies are more likely than they were five years ago to take a public stance in favor of democracy, or to encourage employees to speak out themselves. Finally, the Morning Consult data show that over 80% of business leaders agree that companies should act to ensure safe and fair elections and protect democratic institutions.

This commitment to democratic engagement is evident across the business community. In the wake of the January 6 insurrection, over 120 of the nation’s largest companies halted political contributions to politicians who voted against certifying the 2020 election. Those members of Congress have lost 59% of their funding from corporate PACs (in 2021 vs. 2019) as a result. And over 450 American companies have withdrawn or suspended key operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Everyone benefits when businesses step up to uphold democracy. For example, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 narrowed the wage gap between Black and white workers by up to six percentage points. When democracy is strong, communities build prosperity and businesses both fuel and reap the benefits.

It’s never been more clear that a strong economy requires a strong democracy. That’s why our three organizations have launched the Business & Democracy Initiative—to empower business leaders to collectively stand up for American democracy, rebuild trust in democratic institutions, and secure the next generation of stable and inclusive American prosperity.

The Business & Democracy Initiative has defined concrete actions business can take to uphold democracy. Business leaders can establish pro-democracy policies, such as giving employees time off to vote or work the polls and ensuring PAC contributions only go to recipients who demonstrate commitment to the democratic process. Businesses can advocate for federal and state democracy legislation, such as opposing measures that would make it harder for any eligible voter to cast their ballot. Corporate donation programs can also be expanded to include donations and in-kind resources for nonpartisan state elections infrastructure, from stress tests to tech upgrades and training.

Businesses depend on a functioning democracy in order to thrive, and face dramatic downside risk if the political system descends into polarization or even violence over contested election outcomes. Supporting a strong democracy is also a positive agenda for businesses and citizens to reinvigorate our social fabric, protect access to the franchise, counter polarization, and build institutions that secure our economy into the future.

Daniella Ballou-Aares is the CEO and cofounder of the Leadership Now Project; David Clunie is the executive director of the Black Economic Alliance; Rhett Buttle is the founder of Public Private Strategies.

Launch of the Business and Democracy Initiative

Leadership Now Project, in partnership with the Black Economic Alliance and Public Private Strategies, today announced the Business & Democracy Initiative to empower business leaders to collectively stand up for American democracy, rebuild trust in democratic institutions, and secure the next generation of stable and inclusive American prosperity.

Business leaders across the country are concerned about the health of our democracy. New research by Morning Consult on behalf of the Business & Democracy Initiative shows the business community wants to be active in protecting American democracy, and their customers will support them. The results show:

• 96% of business leaders say the existence of a well-functioning democracy is “important” to a strong economy.

• 80%+ of business leaders think that businesses should act to protect democracy and act to ensure safe and fair elections.

• 51%+ of business leaders say their business is more likely than they were five years ago to encourage employees to take a stance or speak out in support of democracy, or to take a public stance as a business.

• 64%+ of consumers say that a business with a public commitment to democracy shows the business cares about its customers, their employees, and has the right values.Tomorrow, the House Select Committee’s first public hearing will surface findings from the more than 1,000 interviews conducted in its months-long investigation of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“The Business & Democracy Initiative will provide business leaders with the knowledge and platform to lead on the issues — from preventing election crises to expanding civic engagement — and secure a strong economy for the next generation,” said Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO of the Leadership Now Project.

We encourage you to read and share the full announcement with your networks, and please let us know if you’re interested in getting involved. Thank you for your continued commitment to our democracy.

Democracy News: May 2022

Here is the latest news from Leadership Now and our members.

• Academic Advisor and Harvard Kennedy School Prof. David Gergen in an article by CBS News doesn't hold back when asked to describe the state of democracy in 2022: "We can't continue on the path we're on; it's unsustainable," he said. "It has the sense that we're, like, in a car, at midnight, on the edge of a cliff, with rain falling, and no headlights." 

• Academic Advisor and Stanford Business School Prof. Anat Admati mentioned in a Financial Times opinion piece on how ESG investing is missing the realities of market power in an age of corporate concentration and rising profits.

• Academic Advisor and HBS Prof. Rawi Abdelal published an opinion piece in the Boston Globe sharing what the West could do to further support Ukraine and ensure the country comes to the negotiating table with the strongest possible position.

• In her Washington Post review of E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport’s new book, 100% Democracy, Policy Member Didi Kuo, senior research scholar and associate director at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, unpacks how mandatory universal voting may have the potential to fix our democracy.

Article: When Should Business Take A Stand?

Not engaging in political, social and moral issues is no longer an option for companies. Leadership Now recently spoke with the Financial Times about the increasing pressure for business leaders to speak out on a range of issues from voting rights to climate change.