State Shield has awarded Arkansas an A+ rating in its inaugural 2025 State Shield Scorecard, recognizing the state as a national leader in defending against foreign adversary influence, particularly threats linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
State Shield also named Governor Sanders the Best Governor for National Security, citing her leadership in advancing first-in-the-nation protections designed to safeguard Arkansas’ land, data, and public investments.
“Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick Communist China off our farmland and out of our state, and we didn’t stop there,” Governor Sanders said. “We’ve taken real action to protect our land, our data, and our taxpayers from hostile foreign influence. This recognition shows that strong leadership at the state level makes a real difference in keeping our people and our economy secure.”
State Shield is a national initiative focused on helping policymakers identify and counter modern national security threats that increasingly affect states. The scorecard evaluates risks such as foreign land ownership near military installations, hostile technology and surveillance concerns, covert lobbying activity, and exposure of public funds and government data systems…