Ad agency exec Beau Lane joins GOP primary for Arizona secretary of state

The already crowded Republican primary for secretary of state got a new entrant on Tuesday with the addition of advertising and marketing firm executive Beau Lane.

Lane, the executive chairman of LaneTerralever, touted himself as a “citizen and a leader, not a career politician,” who can restore “faith, trust and integrity in our voting systems.” This is Lane’s first campaign for political office.

“The integrity of our voting systems is the cornerstone of our democracy. Our government only works when all Americans, all Arizonans, believe that their vote counts and our processes work,” Lane said in a campaign announcement video.

On his campaign website, Lane said he will fight for “common-sense reforms” in Arizona’s election laws, though it’s unclear what, if any, changes he would advocate for. He said he supports requiring all in-person voters to show identification, only sending ballots to actual Arizona residents, and keeping Arizona’s voter rolls current — all things that are required by state law already.

He said he will ensure transparency and an “open process” when it comes to counting procedures and the chain-of-custody for ballots.

Lane was born and raised in Arizona, growing up in Phoenix’s Encanto neighborhood and graduating from Central High School before attending college at Denver University. In the 1980s, he joined E.B. Lane, the advertising agency his father founded, and as CEO oversaw its 2013 merger with the digital marketing firm Terralever.

Lane lamented that the U.S. has “an erosion of trust” in America’s democratic system over the past few elections, citing Democrats’ rejection of Donald Trump’s legitimacy after he won the 2016 election and Democrat Stacy Abrams’s refusal to concede the race for Georgia governor after her 2018 loss.

“It’s putting us on a dangerous path. We must get back on track or we risk losing everything,” he said.

Lane didn’t address the false and pervasive belief among Republicans that the 2020 election was rigged against Trump. Lane’s campaign wouldn’t say whether he believes the 2020 presidential election was rigged or whether the outcome was affected by fraud. State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, one of Lane’s rivals in the GOP primary, has also declined to answer those questions.

The fight for the Republican nomination for secretary of state is now a four-way race. Lane joins Ugenti-Rita, a GOP senator from Scottsdale, and state Reps. Shawnna Bolick and Mark Finchem. Former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes and state Rep. Diego Rodriguez are vying for the Democratic nomination.

The winner of the 2022 race will replace Democrat Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor.