Most Americans, especially in Arizona, are optimistic about technology's impact.
Despite public opinion, Democrats pursued anti-tech policies during the Biden administration.
Arizona's pro-technology stance contrasts with California's, where anti-tech legislation threatens the state's economy.

Take a quick glance at the tech headlines — filled with AI doomerism or gleeful talk of a potential Google breakup — and you’d think Americans are fed up with the tech sector.

In fact, the opposite is true: most Americans are tech optimists.

That’s especially true in Arizona.

According to the Tech Sentiment Index, 52% of consumers nationwide feel excited about innovation, and 54% say technology has improved their leisure time and personal interests.

That makes the tech sector more than twice as popular as Congress, and significantly more popular than education, health care and even the grocery industry.

That’s why I was disappointed to see my fellow Democrats take such a hostile stance toward tech during the Biden administration.

Democrats attacked tech. Consumers didn't care

Antitrust enforcers abandoned the consumer welfare standard in favor of sweeping lawsuits against nearly every major tech company. Foundation-funded anti-tech pushed aggressive new rules on AI and speech.

The Securities and Exchange Commission launched a legal war on responsible crypto firms, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rolled out anti-fintech rules that limited consumer choice.

These actions sharply diverged from the public’s pro-tech outlook, and what’s worse, they distracted Democrats from addressing voters’ top concern: the rising cost of living.

According to a Chamber of Progress exit poll from November 2024, regulating tech companies ranked dead last among the 12 election issues tested. By contrast, the top priority for both Harris and Trump voters was controlling inflation and strengthening the economy.

To win in the 2026 midterms and beyond, Democrats should once again see technology as a partner in progress, not an enemy. Promoting innovation will strengthen the economy, align with voter priorities and better reflect the country’s tech optimism.

Arizona is taking a far different approach

Democratic leaders in the battleground state of Arizona are showing how it’s done.

Gov. Katie Hobbs is leading the way with her call to usher in an era of “AI abundance” in Arizona. In May, she launched a committee to develop a roadmap for responsible AI, emphasizing that “Arizona has a responsibility to lead with integrity while spurring innovation in this growing high-tech sector.”

The private sector is taking notice of Arizona’s open arms.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is accelerating its expansion in the state, investing a total of $165 billion in a 1,100-acre Phoenix campus to meet rising demand for chips. The project is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to Arizona, with the majority estimated to not require a bachelor’s degree.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Ruben Gallego emerged as an early advocate for the potential of digital assets to promote financial inclusion and advance American competitiveness.

Senator Gallego has become a role model for his party on crypto, arguing that Democrats “really can’t be ashamed of being the party of upward mobility, which we have been forever.”

Earlier this month, Senator Gallego helped rally strong bipartisan support for landmark crypto legislation. The bipartisan passage of that bill marked real progress in ensuring that the 55 million Americans who own crypto can safely participate in these emerging markets.

California could learn a lot from its neighbor

Arizona’s senior senator, Mark Kelly, is a lifelong champion of science and innovation.

In May, Kelly led a group of senators in defending NASA’s budget, writing that the U.S. “cannot afford to surrender space to China or any other country.”

Earthside, Senator Kelly is a supporter of forward-looking AI regulation and introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at boosting public trust in AI.

Arizona’s leadership comes as its western neighbor works overtime to rein in innovators, despite the consequences to the state’s economic health.

California relies disproportionately on tech sector stock performance to fund its social services, but its Legislature is currently considering dozens of bills that could drive innovation and vital tax revenue out of the state.

At a time when optimism about technology is high but economic anxiety is even higher, Democrats would be wise to look west — not to Silicon Valley this time, but to Arizona.

Adam Kovacevich is founder and CEO of the center-left tech industry coalition Chamber of Progress. He previously led public policy at Google and Lime and served as a Democratic Hill aide. Reach him at adam@progresschamber.org.

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Arizona is friendlier to tech than Silicon Valley. That will pay off | Opinion