The Midterms: The Stakes are Real.
October 6, 2026
Dear everyone,
We are one month away from the 2026 Midterm Elections.
And after the past year, it would be impossible to pretend this is simply another election.
We have watched the political and legal environment shift rapidly. DEI has been challenged from multiple directions. Companies have responded to pressure over programs and commitments they once considered fundamental to their culture and business. And for many of the people those efforts were intended to support, the impact of this moment has been deeply personal.
The midterms will shape what comes next in Washington and across the country. They will affect the policies businesses navigate and the lives of the people we employ, serve and work alongside.
While this is a moment for participation, it is also a moment for clarity.
Companies have an important role to play in supporting civic engagement. This can be as straightforward as giving employees the time and flexibility to vote, making trusted nonpartisan information easy to find and supporting employees who want to serve as poll workers.
Work remains a real barrier to voting for millions of Americans, and research has found that workplace voting programs can measurably increase voter turnout. There is also a broader business interest at stake. Trusted elections, functioning institutions and respect for the rule of law create the stability and predictability businesses need to invest, hire and grow.
But our responsibility cannot begin and end with an election.
Over the past year, we have seen just how quickly companies pulled back or changed course in response to political pressure, even as the underlying civil rights laws remained in place.
On September 28, the Trump administration asked a Maryland federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia challenging an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from engaging in “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” Their reason: “racially discriminatory DEI activities” means intentional discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
This has always been the case under Title VII. The law never changed.
Inclusion work should never be dependent on which party controls Washington.
Companies have the ability and responsibility to build cultures where people can succeed, expand opportunity, understand different consumers and ensure their businesses work for the people they employ and serve.
The midterms may change the political and regulatory environment around us. Our job as leaders is to understand that environment without allowing every political shift to redefine who we are.
Know what your company stands for. Know why this work matters to your business. Know the people you employ and the consumers you serve. And make decisions from that foundation.
In the weeks ahead, give people the space to participate. Recognize that for many, the stakes are personal.
And when the election is over, don’t look to Washington to tell you whether inclusion still matters to your business.
It does.
SD
founder & CEO
BRIDGE