The former CMA Entertainer of the Year winner took the stage on the final night of the festival, closing out the action-packed four-day event in style. Moments before his performance, Bryan spoke with Country Now backstage at Nissan Stadium, assuring fans he was ready to “bring it” for the final night, a tradition he has embraced as he continues to close out CMA Fest each year.
His performance of “Country and She Knows It” delivered everything fans know and love from a Luke Bryan show, complete with plenty of energy, some hip shaking, and a whole lot of fun.
Luke Bryan performs at Nissan Stadium on Sunday June 7, 2026, during CMA Fest presented by SoFi in downtown Nashville; Photo Courtesy CMA
“As I gear up for touring season and summer I really wanted to focus on releasing a song that felt fun and energetic and the moment the writers sent this one I knew it was it,” the Georgia native previously shared. “I have always tried to have the mindset to wake up and approach every day as a good day so being able to share that way of life through my music is something I am honestly grateful for. Can’t wait to look out and see the crowds out of their seat and bonus if a little dancing is going on.”
Written by Josh Miller, Parker Welling, and Matt Dragstrem, and produced by Jeff Stevens with Jody Stevens and Matt Dragstrem co-producing, the track will be featured on Bryan’s upcoming new album Signs, out September 18.
Fans can catch Bryan performing this track and more on his Word on the Street Tour, which is making its way around the country all summer. In addition, Bryan will join his longtime friend Jason Aldean on the Double Down Tour, hitting select stadiums through the end of the year.
Luke Bryan performs at Nissan Stadium on Sunday June 7, 2026, during CMA Fest presented by SoFi in downtown Nashville; Photo Courtesy CMA
Bryan’s appearance on CMA Fest presented by SoFi is just one of dozens of performances featured on the three-hour special. Co-hosted by Riley Green and Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer, the show also featured performances by Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.
Plenty of drama is likely to unfold on Friday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Groups G, H and I will all play their final slate of games. The day opens with Group I, where two of the tournament’s best players, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, will meet in a top matchup between Norway and France in Boston. Then, in Toronto, Senegal and Iraq both need to win and need help elsewhere to have a chance at the round of 32. In Group H, Uruguay has disappointed at the World Cup and now must likely defeat pre-tournament favorites Spain to advance. In the group’s other game, Cape Verde will hope to continue its fairytale run into the knockouts with a win over Saudi Arabia. Then in Group G, Belgium has thus far played poorly but could get back on track and into the round of 32 with a win over New Zealand. Finally, Egypt and Iran will both be looking for a win to secure a first-ever knockout appearance. Norway vs. France When: Friday, June 26, 3 p.m. ET Where: Boston TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX Group I will be decided on Friday afternoon at Boston Stadium when Norway takes on France. It is an eagerly anticipated game between two teams, each with a perfect six points from two games, and it will feature two of the sport’s greatest goalscorers, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Both teams have already punched their respective tickets to the round of 32, but this game will decide the group winner. Due to a superior goal differential, France will win the group even if the match ends in a draw. Haaland has not disappointed in his first-ever major tournament for Norway, finding the back of the net four times, with two goals in each of the first two games. That has brought him to a staggering 59 goals with 52 appearances for his country. Mbappé also has four goals from two braces, and he remains in pursuit of Messi’s new goal-scoring record. The Real Madrid forward now has 16 career World Cup goals and is just two behind the Argentine great. Both teams have also benefited from their other star players stepping up. For France, 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé finally found his first World Cup goal in its recent 3-0 win over Iraq, while Michael Olise has been the team’s creative force with three assists in two World Cup matches to lead the tournament. Norway has also continued to execute its game plan in the last two games as its central midfielders look to play the ball wide to wingers or fullbacks and then find Haaland. Norway was perfect in its World Cup qualifying campaign, and that run has carried into this tournament. But France will be its toughest test. For France to stop Norway, it cannot focus on stopping Haaland. Its best hope is to stop central midfielders Martin Ødegaard and Sander Berge, along with the key wide players Antonio Nusa and Julian Ryerson. That will be easier said than done, as France has not kept a clean sheet in six matches. This game should have plenty of goals. Player to Watch While most people will be watching Mbappé and Haaland, Olise has been arguably the tournament’s most complete player in the group stage. He is driving France’s attack, and he is also a threat to score himself. He is coming off a great season with Bayern Munich, where his passing range and quality were exceptional. He has now carried that into the World Cup. Senegal vs. Iraq When: Friday, June 26, 3 p.m. ET Where: Toronto TV: FS1 Stream: Watch three days free on FOX Both Senegal and Iraq enter this Group I game at Toronto Stadium with zero points after losing games to powerhouses Norway and France. This game is not completely dead rubber either. While a draw would eliminate both teams, a winner still has a slight chance of advancing as one of the top eight third-place teams. It remains to be seen if three points will be enough, depending on the final tables and goal differentials in other groups. Senegal will be the favorite in this game as the Lions of Teranga were very competitive in their losses to Norway and France. As one of the best African teams, Senegal simply ran into a brutal draw at this World Cup. Ismaïla Sarr has been Senegal’s best player, and the Crystal Palace winger scored both goals in the 3-2 loss to Norway. Along with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and all-time leading scorer and former Champions League winner Sadio Mané, Senegal has the talent to score plenty of goals against Iraq. The concern is the team’s leaky defense, which has allowed six goals in this tournament as well as another three against the United States in a pre-tournament friendly. This game was always an uphill climb for Iraq, but it became even more challenging after captain and starting forward Aymen Hussein left the game against France in just the 26th minute due to an injury. One key for Iraq in this game is to play smarter. In each of the first two games, Iraq conceded terrible goals with sloppy passing in its own third after goal kicks. At the time of each of these mistakes, Iraq was still in the game. Iraq cannot continue to be its own worst enemy if it wants to win and have a slight chance of advancing. Player to Watch The Crystal Palace winger has been the best player for Senegal, and the offense has been flowing through him. That should continue to be the case in this game. The challenge for Sarr is not just to help Senegal score enough goals to win this game, Senegal potentially needs a wide margin of victory to improve its goal differential. Uruguay vs. Spain When: Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. ET Where: Guadalajara TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX It will be a matchup of former World Cup champions on Friday when Spain and Uruguay clash at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico to conclude Group H action. Spain currently sits atop the group with four points while Uruguay has just two points. Led by Marcelo Bielsa, who is widely considered one of the most influential managers of his generation, Uruguay has disappointed at this World Cup after being held to draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. That has left the team in a difficult spot, in which it likely needs to defeat Spain to advance. At this point, that seems unlikely, as Uruguay hasn’t won any of its last six games, and Spain is arguably the best team in the world, with its unbeaten run in competitive matches now up to 33 games (24 wins and nine draws) dating back to March 28, 2023. Uruguay sits in second place, but a draw would leave La Celeste vulnerable to being overtaken by either Saudi Arabia or Cape Verde, who will be playing at the same time. Three points and an even goal differential might also be enough to get through, but that depends on other groups. Uruguay is led by winger Maxi Araújo, who has carried the team’s attack at the World Cup with two goals. Federico Valverde has also played well in the midfield. The problems for the team have been its mistake-prone defense and the ongoing slump of striker Darwin Núñez, who led the team in scoring during World Cup qualifying but hasn’t scored for Uruguay in 14 games. That slump has forced Bielsa to bench Núñez and scramble to find other options. Spain, meanwhile, is deep at every position with world-class players and is a genuine threat to win the tournament. After shockingly being held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde, Luis de la Fuente’s squad quickly returned to form with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia as the usual suspects Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal led the way. For plenty of reasons, Spain is favored to win this. With a midfield led by Rodri, Spain should have plenty of possession, and Uruguay could become frustrated. The biggest concern for Spain is that a desperate, Bielsa-led team is always dangerous. Player to Watch As likely the best teenager in the game and a Ballon d’Or runner-up, Yamal is special with what he can do offensively on the wing. He is not yet at 100 percent, and he likely won’t go the full 90 minutes, but he is getting more fit and healthy with each passing game. That is good news for Spain and bad news for everyone else. If Uruguay is to pull off an upset, it starts with containing him. Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia When: Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. ET Where: Houston TV: FS1 Stream: Watch three days free on FOX Everything will be on the line on Friday in Houston when Cape Verde takes on Saudi Arabia in Houston, with the winner likely advancing out of Group H and into the round of 32. Cape Verde enters the game with two points (even with Uruguay but behind by only one on the goals scored tiebreaker) from two draws, while Saudi Arabia has one point. Cape Verde has become the Cinderella darlings of the tournament after playing Spain to a 0-0 draw, followed by a 2-2 draw with Uruguay. The archipelago nation just off the coast of continental Africa has a population of just 525,000, but came away with results against two nations that have won the tournament. A win would send Cape Verde into the knockouts, but a draw to finish with three points might suffice if other results break its way. The Blue Sharks have earned praise for their courageous defense and their remarkable organization on defense under head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, who is commonly known as Bubista. Against Uruguay, Cape Verde was then able to combine its defense with timely goals in the attack to eventually play to a draw. Against Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde will have to maintain its defensive structure while looking for goals through counterattacks and set pieces. Kevin Pina’s free kick against Uruguay was one of the longest goals hit at the tournament (from more than 30 yards out), so far, and the team’s counterattacks are typically played through Gilson Benchimol and Garry Rodrigues. The only time Saudi Arabia has qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup was when the tournament was also in the United States in 1994. Now, 28 years later on the same soil, the Green Falcons will look to return to the second stage with a win over Cape Verde. Under head coach Georgios Donis, Saudi Arabia will need its front line to be more dangerous. Through two games, the team’s only goal came through central defender Abdulelah Al Amri. Winger and captain Salem Al-Dawsari, along with striker Feras Al-Buraikan, who led the Saudis in scoring during World Cup qualifying, will need to be more dangerous. This game is an even matchup and is tough to predict, but Cape Verde is likely to have plenty of support in Houston as the team has been one of the most uplifting stories at the World Cup. Player to Watch The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper has been the face of the team’s remarkable draws against Spain and Uruguay. We have seen stories about his mother finding her way to the United States to watch her son, and the wild growth of his social media following (specifically 14.5 million new Instagram followers after the draw with Spain) has also grabbed the attention of the media. Behind that, Vozinha has made plenty of incredible saves to give his team a chance at the knockouts. He is in great form, and he will have to make even more big saves against Saudi Arabia to give his team a chance to continue its run. New Zealand vs. Belgium When: Friday, June 26, 11 p.m. ET Where: Houston TV: FS1 Stream: Watch three days free on FOX For both New Zealand and Belgium, advancing out of Group G and into the round of 32 likely depends on winning this game at Vancouver Stadium on Friday night. Belgium enters this game in third place in the group with two points from two games. Rudi Garcia’s team has been disappointing through two games as the Red Devils arrived as a top-10 team in the FIFA World Rankings with hopes of making a deep run in the knockouts. Two points is not the end of the world, but the big concern for the team has been its lack of offensive production. The only goal it has scored was an own goal in a 1-1 draw with Egypt. Fortunately, there is plenty of time to turn things around as Belgium is the favorite in this game and a win would lift the Red Devils to five points. Belgium has not lost in 15 games, and will be strong up the middle with Kevin De Bruyne, and captain Youri Tielemans playing behind all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku. While this group has underperformed in the first two games, the expectations are that the group is so talented that eventually it will find its way. As for New Zealand, the Kiwis are the lowest-ranked team at this World Cup and are coming off a difficult 3-1 loss to Egypt. New Zealand now must defeat Belgium to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage. New Zealand relies heavily on veteran players, including its all-time leading scorer in Chris Wood, fullback Tim Payne and central defender Michael Boxall. Despite being unconvincing in the first two games, Belgium is the obvious favorite against New Zealand, given the gap in talent. New Zealand fights hard but will have a tough time containing players like De Bruyne for 90 minutes. Player to Watch It has been a wild week for Belgium’s winger. Doku left the team’s World Cup camp midweek to attend the birth of his son in London, and the decision was met with some criticism. On Tuesday, he announced that he had rejoined the Belgian team. The Manchester City star missed Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran due to an illness, but he should be healthy for this game. When he is on his game, he is one of the best dribblers in the world. Now with an emotional week behind him, Doku might be eager to make a big impact in this game to get his country into the round of 32. Egypt vs. Iran When: Friday, June 26, 11 p.m. ET Where: Seattle TV: FS1 Stream: Watch three days free on FOX This year, Iran is making its seventh World Cup appearance while Egypt is making its fourth appearance at the tournament. Despite this, neither country has ever advanced out of the group stage. That will change at this World Cup when Iran and Egypt meet at Seattle Stadium on Friday night. At least one of these teams will advance, although both teams have work to do to clinch. Egypt sits atop Group G with four points after its 2-2 draw with New Zealand followed by its 3-1 win over New Zealand. Four points will likely be enough to secure a spot in the knockouts, but a draw would clinch it. The team is led by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who is one of the best forwards of his generation. Salah, 34, has 68 goals in 118 appearances for Egypt, and he was the difference-maker in the win over New Zealand. Iran will be the underdog in Seattle and enters the game on two points from a draw with Belgium and New Zealand. In the recent 0-0 draw with Belgium, Iran sat deep and secured the point thanks to solid defense and a bit of luck. Against Egypt, Iran is likely going to play with a similar approach, but at some point, it might have to become more aggressive with its attack, as advancing likely only comes with a win. Iran relies heavily on veteran players, and against Belgium, head coach Amir Ghalenoei fielded the oldest starting lineup in World Cup history with an average age of 32.5 years. That lineup served Iran well against Belgium, but if Ghalenoei goes with the same squad against Egypt, there is a risk that such an old lineup might wear down against Egypt. Player to Watch The most talented and accomplished player on the field, by far, is Salah, who could be playing in his final World Cup. At the club level, Salah has accomplished just about everything possible. He has won the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup. He has won the Premier League Golden Boot and the Player of the Season. But Salah is now heavily motivated to finally play in the knockout stages of the World Cup, and this game could get the Pharaohs to that point for the first time in their history.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
The triumph of the World Cup’s first two weeks — boosting the U.S.’s global reputation with sold-out stadiums and few logistical complications — has forced Democrats who had criticized President Donald Trump’s role in preparations to grudgingly reconsider.
“I think that there was a little bit of like liberal wishcasting that this would maybe be a disaster to sort of stick it to Trump,” said Rob Flaherty, the digital Democratic strategist and soccer fan who attended the U.S. group-stage match with Australia. “It hasn’t yet been.”
Before the tournament, attitudes about the World Cup were polarizing, like so much else, along partisan lines, with Democrats confronting FIFA and the Trump administration over high ticket prices, shortfalls in public funding, and the government’s posture to foreign visitors. As the tournament approached, local officials in areas hosting matches, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, turned from critics to cheerleaders.
Now a prominent congressional Democrat is going even farther: praising the U.S.’s handling of tournament logistics — if not giving the Trump administration explicit credit by name.
This week, Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat active in foreign-policy issues, called it a “remarkable success” and vowed to “do everything I can to get the World Cup back here as soon as possible” in an X post.
In an interview with POLITICO Thursday, Boyle said, “this has been a great moment, actually devoid of politics, and I think it would be best to keep politics out of it.”
“I’m excited about the U.S. hosting the World Cup, how well that it has gone, how receptive these foreign fan bases have been to finding out more about the United States and interacting with ordinary Americans,” Boyle continued.
Boyle’s enthusiasm places him in rare territory. Though other prominent Democrats including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with Mamdani and Sherrill, have all attended games, few among them have been willing to articulate anything that sounds like praise for the authorities putting on the event.
“Let me be clear, my comments are irrespective of the Trump administration. Frankly, his immigration policies for the last year and a half did scare some people off from coming to the United States,” said Boyle. “The credit goes to the local host committees.”
Jelly Roll previewed his newly released song, “Hands Up” live during night one of CMA Fest 2026 at Nissan Stadium. Now, fans at home are getting the chance to experience that unforgettable moment through CMA Fest presented by SoFi, the three-hour ABC special showcasing highlights from the four-day festival.
The Tennessee native’s time on the main stage of the massive venue came to life during tonight’s broadcast, just days after he officially released it to streaming. Even before it was out, the song has become a powerful part of his live sets recently.
Jelly Roll; Photo by Acacia Evans/CMA
Throughout the track, penned by Jelly Roll with HARDY, Chase McGill, Joe Fox and Rocky Block, the genre-bending star reflects on different chapters of his life, from his teenage years attending concerts in Nashville to some of the mistakes he made as a young adult and the lessons he learned along the way.
As the song unfolds, he continues to take listeners on a journey through those memories, showing how each experience helped shape the person he is today, one that has parted with the devil and found himself leading with his faith. By the end, listeners learn that the overall message signals growth, gratitude, and finding peace with the road that got him to this point.
Jelly Roll; Photo by Camden Hall/CMA
Once the impactful chorus hit, the “Save Me” singer encouraged the crowd at Nissan Stadium to throw their hands in the air and join him on the singalong.
He sings, “Put your hands up/ Everybody put your hands up/ If you ain’t perfect but you try/ Put ‘em way up to the sky/ Touchin’ heaven kinda high/ Ain’t that where we wanna go when we die/ Whoa, whoa, whoa/ Just put your hands up/ Everybody put your hands up.”
Jelly Roll was just one of the many superstars who appeared during the three-hour broadcast. CMA Fest Presented by SoFi was co-hosted by Riley Green and Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer and aired Thursday, June 25 at 8/7c on ABC. It will be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
The special also featured performances from Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.
All the fun, excitement and even more star-powered performances will return to Nashville from June 10-13 as the longest-running Country Music festival in the world once again takes over the city’s downtown area.
Content warning: This story contains allegations of domestic violence.
Tom Sandoval is distancing himself from Victoria Lee Robinson.
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SEATTLE — In late May, Greg Moriarty formally presented his credentials to President Donald Trump as Australia’s man in Washington. But it wasn’t until mid-June that Moriarty encountered one of the U.S. officials he most needed to meet: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, whose department plays a key role in critical-minerals deals between the two countries.
Moriarty’s encounter with Wright did not take place at the Energy Department’s headquarters just off the National Mall in Washington, or at any of its many facilities around the country. Rather the men met at Lumen Field in Seattle, at last Friday’s crucial World Cup match between their countries, where Wright led the U.S. delegation — an auspicious occasion for an envoy to make connections in a new post.
“The United States is a very sports-mad country, so is Australia, so [it’s] a great opportunity to get to know them on a different level, because you might touch on one or two items of business,” Moriarty said in an interview. “But it’s generally just so that you can both enjoy the spectacle and the connection that we both have through sports.”
Moriarty also introduced himself to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a figure of particular fascination in Australia given that country’s embrace of harsh Covid-era lockdowns, as well as members of Congress in attendance. Moriarty, a former defense secretary and national security adviser, will work to keep Washington’s foreign-policy establishment focused on the Indo-Pacific in a year when its attention has drifted alternately to the Arctic, Caribbean and Persian Gulf.
“The United States is a superpower. It clearly has global commitments and global responsibilities,” said Moriarty. “But Australia, we think that the United States’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific is very solid.”
In Seattle, however, business was front of mind for Moriarty, who finds himself fighting a new 12.5 percent tariff that the Trump administration has imposed on countries accused of not doing enough to prevent slave labor in their supply chains. At the waterfront Edgewater Hotel, Moriarty joined corporate leaders — including Microsoft’s Australian-raised Deputy General Counsel Antony Cook, who has taken a leading role in the company’s approach to AI regulation, and Mikaël Limapalaër of heavyweight pension fund Australian Super — to discuss the future of the bilateral trade relationship.
Moriarty is unusual among Australia’s ambassadors to Washington for not having been a politician — his immediate predecessor, Kevin Rudd, previously served as the country’s prime minister — but he already shows a deft instinct for intertwining economic ties, military alliances and cultural affinity. At one point, he linked a coming National Football League game in Melbourne to the arrival of nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS security partnership.
“We’re really keen to sort of see how we can use American football to grow an audience in Australia, that will again be really good for the business connections and the people-to-people connections,” said Moriarty.
“Australia will be ready to host the first rotation of U.S. submarines by the end of next year, and we’re hoping that all the Americans who come down to and live down in Western Australia bring their own love of football.”
Dan Sullivan of Petersburg (left) filed to run against Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. (Campaign photo by Dan Sullivan and photo of the senator by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
An Anchorage judge heard oral arguments on Thursday in a case poised to decide whether the Alaska Division of Elections has the authority to remove a candidate with the same name as the incumbent from the race for U.S. Senate.
The court is expediting the case and a decision is expected Friday. Any appeals are expected to be before the Alaska Supreme Court on Monday, ahead of a looming deadline for the division to print primary ballots no later than noon on Tuesday, June 30.
The division made the unprecedented decision to remove Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, from the ballot on June 15, citing a “preponderance of evidence” the candidate had not filed a “good faith candidacy” and filed with the purpose to “confuse or mislead” voters.
Sullivan appealed that decision, saying he meets all eligibility requirements to run for office. He challenged the state’s decision as unlawful, and requested the court overturn the decision and restore his candidacy on the Alaska ballot for U.S. Senate.
In opening arguments, attorneys for the Division of Elections defended the decision to disqualify Sullivan from the ballot. They said the state has a duty to protect voters from confusion, and that the state is not obligated to place a candidate on the ballot where evidence shows the candidate is seeking to “compromise the fairness of the ballot.”
Sullivan was one of sixteen candidates to file to run for one of Alaska’s U.S. Senate seats, challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in the high-stakes election that could determine the control of the U.S. Senate after the November elections. One candidate has withdrawn since then, leaving 14 challengers, including former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The November election results will determine a candidate for a six-year term.
Critics of Sullivan said he was trying to confuse voters to the benefit of Peltola, the Democratic front-runner. Officials with the Peltola campaign and the Alaska Democratic Party have said they have no affiliation with either Sullivan.
Attorneys representing the Petersburg Sullivan and the Alaska Division of Elections went head to head in livestreamed Superior Court hearing, where over 300 viewers tuned in but others were not able to watch the stream. Officials with the court later apologized calling it a “record-breaking” livestream and posted a recording on their website.
Jeffrey Robinson, representing Sullivan, opened his argument reiterating that Sullivan met all the constitutional requirements to run for office: at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen, and an inhabitant of Alaska if and when elected.
Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney for Dan J. Sullivan, argues his appeal case in Anchorage Superior Court on June 25, 2026. (Screenshot of court livestream)
“Mr. Sullivan unambiguously meets each of these criteria,” Robinson said. “As seen in previous cases, states are not allowed to add to those qualifications.”
He cited the case where the Alaska Democratic Party sought to remove Eric Hafner, a U.S. House candidate imprisoned out of state, and the division did not investigate his motives but found he met the qualifications to run for office. Robinson argued the state has subjectively and unlawfully added additional criteria for Sullivan, including restrictions on his perceived political goals, how he presents his name, campaign and his party affiliation.
“Here the division imposed a substantive mental state-based qualification for U.S. Senate candidates in Alaska, and then it cynically and arbitrarily determined that Mr. Sullivan did not meet that qualification,” he said.
Robinson said it’s up to political campaigns to distinguish candidates and educate voters. He agreed the division has the authority to make sure candidates appearing on the ballot do not confuse voters, and noted that there are state regulations that offer solutions, like adding middle initials. But he said there are no “good faith” requirements, nor any other regulations that would give the division such broad authority to look at a candidate’s motives for office.
“They have no explicit authority in situations like this to even look into a candidate’s motives. Any subjective standard for candidates imposed by the division necessarily erodes the trust of voters,” he said. “If this standard were to apply, the director could challenge any or disqualify any potential reasons of personal dislike, or that the candidate may lose to their preferred candidate.”
Arguing for the Division of Elections, attorney Chris Murray said the division has the authority to review candidates and make sure the ballot is not presented in a way that would be confusing to voters.
Chris Murray, an attorney for the Alaska Division of Elections, argues against the appeal of Dan J. Sullivan in Anchorage Superior Court on June 25, 2026. (Screenshot of court livestream)
In this case, he said the division director, Carol Beecher, reviewed complaints against the candidate filed by the Alaska Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to elect Republicans, that say his name, party affiliation and campaign materials mimic the incumbent’s. Murray said Beecher found that Sullivan “accentuated the similarity” between himself and Sen. Sullivan.
“She was stuck with the preponderance of the evidence pointing to this being a declaration of candidacy filed for the purpose of seeking office, but a declaration of candidacy filed for an ulterior purpose to cause voter confusion,” he said. “The director does not have the ability to permit that.”
Murray said in the Hafner case, there was no complaint filed prior to the primary on Hafner’s candidacy. He said the division has authority to review complaints and determine whether candidates made a “proper filing” before the primary, which they did for Sullivan.
“So where’s the line? The line is: the decision on qualification has to be made before somebody is placed onto the primary ballot, that is where Alaska law, that’s where the ‘properly filed’ comes in, that’s when there’s discretion in the Division of Elections — but that’s when the Division of Election decides who goes on the ballot, it’s before the primary election, that case was after the primary election,” he said.
Judge Thomas Matthews asked Murray how the division would handle the situation of three Dan Sullivans, in a hypothetical situation where a former Anchorage mayor, Dan A. Sullivan decided to enter the U.S. Senate race.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews presides over the appeal case brought by Dan J. Sullivan challenging the Division of Elections decision to disqualify him for running for U.S. Senate on June 25, 2026. (Screenshot of court livestream)
Murray said a “genuine candidate” would seek to distinguish himself from other candidates, and the division could use a middle initial or notation like “challenger” or “nonincumbent” on the ballot.
“I would say that if you were dealing with all of them, and all of them were trying to get on the ballot in order to win, I think they would all be cooperatively participating in a process where they could be effectively distinguished from each other, so as to avoid voter confusion. That’s not what we have here,” he said.
Judge Matthews asked if there was a way to effectively distinguish the two Dan Sullivans.
Murray said he did not believe that is the division’s responsibility if the candidate’s goal is to confuse voters. “Where the confusion is the goal, Your Honor, we don’t believe the division is under an obligation to try and mitigate it or accommodate it,” he said. “The court could order that the division implement some method to distinguish him, and I’ll say right now, we don’t think a middle initial is sufficient.”
Murray also argued the court ruling would be an important precedent for the division to administer elections.
“If this decision is not affirmed, and it turns out that the court holds that Alaska is just simply powerless, and the division is powerless to stop this sort of behavior, we’re going to be inviting more of this,” he said.
Judge Matthews said he will announce a ruling by Friday, and it could be after business hours.
Attorneys for Sullivan also filed a stay with the court to delay the division printing primary ballots until a final decision is ruled on by the courts. Matthews said he would consider the petition.
After the ruling, both parties are expected to appeal before the Alaska Supreme Court on Monday.
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The Anchorage Assembly will vote on new management contracts for Sullivan Arena, Ben Boeke and Dempsey-Anderson. City leaders say the change would improve operations, increase oversight and lower costs for the Municipality. The proposal has received mixed reactions from members…
Content warning: This story contains allegations of domestic violence.
Hyperpigmentation can be a frustrating, complicated skincare issue to treat. To answer all of our questions about how to treat it, we spoke to Dr. Muneeb Shah, the board-certified dermatologist,…