Election Panel 2026

On October 15, Economic Club Member Mark D. Ein of Venturehouse Group moderated a conversation with four of the sports industry’s most influential owners:Josh Harris, Washington Commanders and Harris Blitzer Sports & EntertainmentMichele Kang, Kynisca Sports International and Washington SpiritTed Leonsis, Monumental Sports & EntertainmentChairman David M. Rubenstein, Baltimore OriolesThe discussion drew on Rubenstein’s new book, Inside the Owner’s Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports.This episode includes AI-generated content.

Less than two weeks before Election Day, The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Chairman David Rubenstein interviewed a pre-election panel of the nation’s leading political journalists including:Kasie Hunt, Anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst, CNNNikole Killion, Congressional Correspondent, CBS NewsBen Smith, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, SemaforJonathan Swan, White House Reporter, The New York TimesThe panel shared their insights on the upcoming U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and gubernatorial races, including the recent poll results, key voter issues, expected voter turnout, mail-in ballots and how the outcomes of this election and the resulting balance of power in the House and Senate could affect the remainder of President Trump’s term and the 2028 presidential election.

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. hosted The Declaration of Independence at 250 with Chairman David M. Rubenstein and Michael Auslin, author of National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America.In this episode, Rubenstein and Auslin trace how the Declaration came together, the key figures who shaped it, and the compromises Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues navigated to put it on paper. They also examine why its most enduring passages still resonate 250 years later.

Economic Club Chair of the Global Initiative Barbara Humpton, CEO of USA Rare Earth, Inc interviewed Tom Barkin, President and CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond on on the current state of the U.S. economy. 

The Honorable Mike Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States and Founder of Advancing American Freedom, spoke with #EconClubDC Chairman David M. Rubenstein on his on his recently published book, “What Conservatives Believe.”

Today, Alan M. Garber, President, Harvard University sat down with Economic Club Chairman David M. Rubenstein.They discussed how the nation’s leading academic institutions are navigating a period of rapid technological and financial change.

David Joyner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CVS Health sat down with Economic Club Chairman David M. Rubenstein to discuss how CVS Health’s integrated portfolio of health insurance, pharmacy, and community-based care is reshaping how Americans access and afford health care, and Joyner’s leadership of one of the nation’s largest health care companies.

Joaquin Duato, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson, joined Economic Club Chairman David M. Rubenstein to explore Johnson & Johnson’s strategy for driving the next era of healthcare innovation and what it takes to lead a global enterprise through an accelerating transformation in medicine.

The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia, joined Economic Club Chairman David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on the economic transformation of the District over her three terms, her experience leading the nation's capital through some of the most defining chapters of its recent history, and the priorities shaping her final year in office.At the end of their conversation, Mayor Bowser was presented the 2026 Arne M. Sorenson Excellence in Leadership Award. 

Paul Toboni, President of Baseball Operations, and Jason Sinnarajah, President of Business Operations of the Washington Nationals joined Economic Club Board Officer Lawrence Di Rita, President, Greater Washington, D.C., Bank of America.They discussed, among other things, the vision behind the Nationals' new leadership structure and what the future looks like for baseball at the intersection of fan engagement, revenue growth, technology, and on-field performance.