By SUZANNE DOWNING
Oct. 26, 2026 – Alaskans know what it looks like when wealthy outsiders bankroll an effort to rewrite the rules of their elections. They have been living with the results since 2020, when ranked-choice voting passed — barely.
Now, a new report from Power The Future examines how the network surrounding billionaire John Arnold seeks to reshape public policy across multiple states through election campaigns, conservative-branded advocacy organizations, research funding, and direct partnerships with Republican governors.
For Alaska, the connection is concrete: Action Now Initiative, the Arnold-backed advocacy organization, contributed more than $2.8 million to the campaign that wired-in ranked-choice voting and the top-four primary in Alaska. Alaska Public Media documented that funding in its examination of the system’s origins.
And when Alaskans tried to repeal the system in 2024, Action Now put in another $2 million to help the campaign defending it. That puts the organization’s contributions across those two Alaska battles over ranked-choice voting at more than $4.8 million.
On Nov. 3, Alaskans will face the repeal question for a second time. Ballot Measure 2 would end ranked-choice general elections and the jungle top-four primary, restore party primaries and return voting to the normal pattern. A yes vote supports repeal.
The original election overhaul passed in 2020 with 50.55% of the vote, a margin of 3,781 votes. Along with Action Now’s millions, substantial support came from the Colorado-based organization Unite America.
Voters approved the measure. But national organizations supplied the money to persuade Alaskans to adopt a fundamental change in how they nominate and elect their leaders.
The first repeal attempt narrowly failed in 2024, by just over 730 votes.
The new Power The Future report, The Arnold Pipeline, places that election spending within a much broader examination of privately financed policy change.
Power The Future approaches the subject as an advocate for American energy workers and fossil-fuel development. Its report is an argument against Arnold’s influence, supported by grant records, tax filings, and public announcements.
Ohio: Selling policy through conservative messengers
The report’s Ohio example follows a less direct route.
It identifies historical Arnold funding to the US Energy Foundation, followed by Energy Foundation funding to the Conservative Energy Network, which in turn supported the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum.
According to the report’s review of 2024 filings, the network received $2 million from the Energy Foundation and paid $210,361 to the Ohio organization. The report explicitly acknowledges that it cannot trace Arnold dollars individually through that chain into Ohio.
The Ohio group nevertheless provides a clear example of clean-energy advocacy directed toward conservatives. Its published principles endorse a transition toward cleaner energy, framed around markets and consumer choice.
Its executive director also publicly identified support for Ohio House Bill 15 as a policy victory and described work helping counties view solar development as an economic opportunity.
The significance is the messenger: Policies promoted by the clean-energy movement can reach Republican audiences through organizations speaking the language of conservative values.
Oklahoma: A seat at the government table
In Oklahoma, the relationship is direct and publicly celebrated.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a partnership with Arnold Ventures in March 2025 under which the philanthropy would match government investments dollar-for-dollar, providing up to $10 million over four years. Combined public and private spending could reach $20 million.
The initial proposals included intensive math tutoring and services to help foster children find permanent homes. Those are worthy objectives. The policy question concerns the arrangement itself: A private philanthropy becomes a partner in determining which programs government expands.
The announcement also named the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy as a partner in identifying programs and developing implementation and funding strategies.
Indiana: From a funded organization into the cabinet
In Indiana, the report highlights a personnel connection. It identifies a $474,222 Arnold Foundation grant in 2022 to the Employers’ Forum of Indiana for a public hospital-value dashboard.
The organization’s leader, Gloria Sachdev, subsequently became Republican Gov. Mike Braun’s choice for secretary of Health and Family Services. Braun’s December 2024 announcement specifically praised her hospital-cost studies, transparency dashboard, and legislative advocacy.
That connection does not establish that Arnold controls Indiana’s health policy. It illustrates how expertise developed within a privately funded policy organization can move into government leadership.
Alaskans have another decision
Arnold Ventures, based in Houston, was founded by Laura and John Arnold. The family and its nonprofit have reshaped how Alaska is governed, and ranked-choice voting may usher in the first Democrat governor since Tony Knowles was reelected in 1998.
On Nov. 3, Ballot Measure 2 gives Alaskans another opportunity to decide whether to keep that experiment and continue the radicalization of Alaska.
