Business Leaders Defend Election Process Ahead of Midterms
Executives in several states are pressing candidates to accept results as the Trump administration challenges election outcomes in Alaska and California.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections
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Should candidates be required to pledge they will accept election results if they lose?
Business leaders are urging candidates and officials to respect the voting process and abide by election results. The effort comes as the Trump administration preemptively challenged the result in Alaska's Senate race and demanded California set aside 20,000 ballots.
Why it matters
Business leaders argue free and fair elections are essential for a functional economy. They say the business community was largely silent in 2020, when lies spread faster than the truth.
The Arizona questionnaire asked candidates whether they will accept results at the conclusion of all legitimate appeals, and some but not all have signed. The Trump administration's demand covers 20,000 California ballots, while the status of the Alaska Senate challenge remains unresolved.
The players
John Fees
Fees heads GradGuard, a Phoenix-based insurance company, and helped send the candidate questionnaire in Arizona.
Tom Florsheim
Florsheim is CEO of the Weyco Group, a shoe company, and is among business leaders involved in the effort to defend election processes.
Ose Sesay
Sesay runs a consulting firm in Minnesota and is among business leaders backing the push to respect election results.
The details
John Fees, who heads Phoenix-based insurer GradGuard, and allies sent a questionnaire to candidates in six Arizona statewide races. Business leaders in Wisconsin are setting up a phone tree to reach about 50 business leaders who will call politicians with whom they have connections.
Timeline
2020: Trump supporters attempted to reverse Joe Biden's Arizona victory, and courts later dismissed those challenges.
- 2026-10-30
The Trump administration challenged the result in Alaska's Senate race.
- 2026-11-02
Midterm elections are approaching.
Political Context
In 2020, supporters of Donald Trump in Arizona attempted to reverse Joe Biden's victory there, and courts dismissed those challenges. Business leaders now say the business community stayed largely silent then and are acting earlier this cycle.
Voters in Arizona, Alaska, California and Wisconsin may see how candidates respond to the questionnaire and pledge before casting ballots. Ballot handling disputes in California could affect how and when votes are counted for residents there.
The takeaway
Candidates' willingness to commit in advance to accepting results is a visible test of the election process, and voters can compare pledge responses from the candidates in their own races before November.
What happens next
The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 2, 2026, when the results of the Alaska and California disputes and the candidate pledge responses will be tested.
Further reading
For broader coverage of how these fights are playing out at the polls, see the Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Marketplace.
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Should candidates be required to pledge they will accept election results if they lose?
