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Day: September 1, 2026
After decades as Miley Cyrus, the singer is entering her next musical chapter under a surprisingly simple name: Miley. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Bunnie Xo is navigating life after her divorce from Jelly Roll, and she’s responding to questions about what drinking means for her sobriety. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Teams across the league continue managing injuries and fine-tuning rosters as the regular season inches closer. San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was back at practice Tuesday, while Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles addressed ongoing uncertainty surrounding cornerback Kyler Gordon’s return. New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson remains sidelined while rehabilitating an ankle injury and when Pittsburgh Steelers Joey Porter Jr. was asked about whether or not he will play for the Steelers in Week 1, he responded, “I don’t know.” Keep up with the latest news from around the league on Tuesday. After weeks of speculation, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is back on the field practicing. He was seen on a Tuesday afternoon making cuts and looking explosive during team drills, showing he’s ready for the Week 1 opener. McCaffrey missed more than two weeks of training camp while dealing with what was described as general “tightness.” It’s unclear if the issue was related to the Achilles tendinitis that sidelined him in 2024 or simply a precaution for other injuries he’s dealt with over his career. However, this should be an encouraging sign as he looks fully healthy heading into Australia, when the 49ers take on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. McCaffrey is coming off the heaviest workload season of his career, accumulating a career-high 413 total touches. He logged 311 rushes for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns in the passing game. If McCaffrey stays healthy, the 49ers offense could make serious noise in a competitive NFC West. The additions of Mike Evans and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, alongside a healthy McCaffrey and Brock Purdy, make this offense one of the most intriguing units in the league. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles expressed uncertainty Tuesday regarding when defensive back Kyler Gordon will return to action as he continues to recover from a lingering calf injury. Gordon, who signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension in April 2025, has appeared in just five games since signing the deal and has been sidelined throughout the entire offseason. When asked Tuesday if he envisions Gordon playing for Chicago during the upcoming 2026 season, Poles offered a guarded response. “I don’t know. I would hope so,” Poles said to reporters Tuesday. “I still have hope there. He’s going to have to continue to work hard and get back to playing.” Poles declined to provide specifics on Gordon’s recovery process, confirming that the defensive back is working with team trainers while also consulting outside medical personnel. “When people come back from injuries, there’s different things that happen,” Poles said. “Sometimes they return fast, sometimes they’re slow. So it’s really a timing thing and a healing thing and a confidence thing. Anytime you have an injury and you’re coming back from something, there’s discomfort that you have to push through, and that’s what it comes down to. So we haven’t been able to get over that hump, and we’re not progressing as fast as we would like.” As Gordon remains on the reserve list, the Bears made additional roster moves Tuesday. Chicago placed safety Coby Bryant and tight end Hayden Large on injured reserve, leaving open the flexibility to designate both for return later in the season. To fill those roster spots, the Bears signed defensive tackle James Lynch and linebacker Jack Sanborn to the active 53-man roster. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. returned to practice on Tuesday after dealing with a back injury, but remained noncommittal about whether he will play in the season opener without a new contract. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Porter addressed his Week 1 availability when asked if he would suit up against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13. “I don’t know,” Porter said. “I’ve got to talk to the front office and my agents about that one.” General manager Omar Khan stated Monday that the team wants Porter to remain with the franchise long-term, but Pittsburgh holds a long-standing policy of ceasing all contract negotiations once the regular season begins. While Porter acknowledged that navigating the business side has been difficult, he noted that teammates and coaches have offered support as he continues preparing. “I could hope and think all day, but it’s really up to the front office and what they want to do with this team,” Porter said. “So all I can do is just show up every day to work and be prepared.” New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson hasn’t practiced in over a week due to an ankle injury suffered in training camp. It’s an injury that has flown under the radar, especially with Ashton Jeanty also grabbing headlines after suffering a scary ankle injury of his own.Henderson returned to Patriots practice on Tuesday afternoon but has not yet been cleared for full participation, ESPN first reported. While he continues to rehab a right ankle injury on the side, he was seen walking normally in the locker room, but his Week 1 status is unclear. He is coming off a productive rookie season in the Patriots offense. On just 180 carries, Henderson racked up 911 yards and nine touchdowns, while adding 35 receptions for 221 receiving yards and a score in the pass game.If Henderson can’t suit up next Wednesday night against the Seattle Seahawks, Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to see a full workload. Even though Stevenson is already the featured back, he could turn into a true three-down workhorse early in the season.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
ANGEL STADIUM (Anaheim, Calif.) — The only direction from here is up, Angels fans. Amid an 11th straight losing season, after a decade of destitution, owner Arte Moreno is finally heeding his fans’ advice and selling the team. Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, is acquiring a controlling interest in the Angels for a reported $4 billion, a Major League Baseball record. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to MLB approval, according to the Angels and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. Moreno, who bought the Angels in 2003 for $183.5 million, will retain a minority stake in the club. But it’s the dawn of a new day in Anaheim. “Fresh start,” said Mike Trout. “You kinda felt that was needed. No hard feelings against Arte, but we’re super excited. The guys are excited. There’s a good vibe around the clubhouse, vibe around the stadium.” Trout was among the many Angels players and executives stunned by the news but encouraged by what it could mean. The Rams have made the playoffs seven times in the last nine years. In 2016, Kroenke moved the team from St. Louis to Los Angeles. The Rams hired Sean McVay as their head coach in 2017, went to the Super Bowl in 2018 and won it in 2021, a year after moving into their brand-new SoFi Stadium. (For what it’s worth, the Angels’ lease at Angel Stadium runs through 2032.) KSE, Kroenke’s holding company, also owns the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Arsenal F.C. (Premier League) and the Colorado Rapids (MLS), among its vast sports portfolio. The Rams, Nuggets, Avalanche and Arsenal have all won championships since 2022 under KSE’s ownership. “What a track record,” Trout said. “Wherever he buys, he wins.” Trout, who has never won a playoff game in 16 years with the Angels, and teammate Zach Neto both reached out to Rams players shortly after hearing the news of the sale. The feedback they received about Kroenke was encouraging. “Most important thing that they said is he just wants what’s important for us,” Neto said. “That’s to make the clubhouse better, in the sense of whatever we need, we get — whether that’s amenity-wise, speakers, whatever it is. He’ll make sure we get those.” That has not always been the case under Moreno, whose tumultuous tenure started promisingly and ended hopelessly, with the owner unwilling to invest in the resources or put the infrastructure in place to return the Angels to relevance. Moreno bought the team in 2003, a year after the Angels won the World Series. The next year, he brought in Vladimir Guerrero and watched him win MVP. The Angels made the playoffs five times from 2004-09. Since 2010, however, they’ve made the postseason just once, in 2013, when they were swept in the American League Division Series. They wasted the primes of Shohei Ohtani and Trout, unable to get them to the postseason over their six years together or acknowledge the reality of their plight. The Angels sought quick fixes, routinely rushing prospects through the system. Moreno’s unwillingness to make the difficult choice to rebuild prevented the kind of change necessary to chart a prosperous path forward. In July 2023, instead of trading Ohtani to get the requisite pieces to reshape the farm system, the Angels dealt more prospects away and finished the year 73-89. Ohtani left in free agency and won the World Series in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers. This year has marked a season of change in Anaheim. The announcement of the ownership sale comes months after team president Molly Jolly dismissed general manager Perry Minasian in June. John Mozeliak, who spent 18 years running baseball operations for the Cardinals — a stretch that included 10 postseason appearances, six division titles and a World Series championship — took over as the interim GM and began charting a new path forward. In an effort to revive a rudderless franchise, he started making the wholesale changes the team refused to do for years, including a deadline fire-sale that injected the Angels’ lagging farm system with needed talent. He has also started making changes to the coaching staff — pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott were fired in August — and reshaping the front office. Just a day before the announcement of the ownership sale, Mozeliak promoted Matt Swanson and Michael Lord as assistant general managers while restructuring the scouting department. Then, on Tuesday morning, Jolly dropped a folder down on his desk and let him know his day was going to change. “Obviously, this was news to me,” Mozeliak said of the ownership change. “When I first came here, I spoke with Arte, and he had mentioned that this was a possibility. But to learn it this morning from Molly, I was definitely surprised. But it wasn’t a shocker. I think it’s exciting news for everybody. I think change is what I came in to try to start doing.” Mozeliak plans to continue to do that with an eye toward the future, until he’s told otherwise. “Obviously, the new ownership is going to have to give us some direction on what they want to see that to look like,” Mozeliak said. “But I do think they should be part of that calculus.” Moreno explored a sale in 2022 before ultimately remaining in place, much to the chagrin of fans whose chants to “sell the team” have reverberated throughout Angel Stadium in recent years. If a change was going to be made, many expected it would come after the next collective bargaining agreement. The timing took most by surprise. Jolly was one of the few who did not sound shocked. She didn’t divulge exactly how long Moreno had been in talks with Kroenke, other than to say it did not come together quickly. “I knew he was contemplating it as far as, what is your legacy and your exit strategy?” Jolly said. “So, that didn’t surprise me at all that, at some point, he was going to transfer to the right next person.” How long Mozeliak and the current Angels regime remain in place is to be determined. Kroenke could start with a clean slate, should he choose to do so. Mozeliak’s contract goes through December. Kurt Suzuki is managing on a one-year deal. The only players under contract beyond this year are Trout and Yusei Kikuchi. For many years, the Angels under Moreno maintained a top-10 payroll in the sport. That has since changed in recent seasons. But under Kroenke, who now becomes MLB’s richest owner, there is hope for a brighter future. “We’re excited for the new guy to come in and hopefully change things around and get some new life in here,” Neto said. It couldn’t be much worse. “You look at the track record, I know the No. 1 thing on his mind is going to be to get to the World Series and win a championship,” Trout said. “As a player, it makes you feel good to have that and to feel that.” Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
From caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages to Oklahoma-made jerky, Sam’s Club is carrying new items that customers are touting as some of the best.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
The summer transfer window slammed shut across Europe on Tuesday evening, and for fans of the U.S. men’s national team, it was a frustrating Deadline Day as the biggest potential move of any American player post-2026 FIFA World Cup fell apart at the 11th hour. Folarin Balogun was thought to be headed to English Premier League mainstay Everton from Monaco in a deal worth more than $50 million. With three goals in four games during soccer’s quadrennial showpiece, the 25-year-old New York-born, London-bred Balogun was the breakout star for the Americans at this summer’s World Cup. That showing drew interest from multiple suitors, but the Toffees — the club where USA legends Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Brian McBride all once played — appeared to have won the race for his signature. But following some last minute hiccups, Balogun reportedly walked away from the deal late Tuesday despite traveling to Merseyside to complete the deal. Although Balogun’s high-profile move didn’t happen, other Americans found new clubs this window.Here’s how the transfers of five of his Stars and Stripes teammates could impact their club careers and the national team in the months ahead. Zavier Gozo: Real Salt Lake To Crystal Palace As I reported in May, USA coach Mauricio Pochettino thought enough of Gozo’s performances with RSL to include the uncapped 19-year-old on the Americans’ 55-player “provisional” World Cup roster, the preliminary list from which the final 26 came. So did Palace after the Utah native bagged 10 goals in 42 MLS games, including six in 16 appearances in 2026. Gozo made his Premier League debut for the London club in last week’s loss to mighty Manchester City. Gio Reyna: Borussia Mönchengladbach To Strasbourg After spending the first seven years of his career in Germany, the 23-year-old traded the Bundesliga for France’s Ligue 1. Reyna, who scored a brilliant goal to cap the Americans’ World Cup-opening 4-1 rout of Paraguay, joined Les Bleus et Blanc for $3.5 million in early August on a five-year contract. The onetime teenage prodigy managed only one goal in 20 appearances — 16 of them off the bench for ‘Gladbach in 2025-26. He should play more this season; Strasbourg’s new No. 10 started and logged 76 minutes in central midfield during the club’s most recent outing, a 2-1 win over Lens last Saturday. Sebastian Berhalter: Vancouver Whitecaps To Middlesbrough The scrappy central midfielder and set-piece specialist could’ve traded Western Canada for England’s second tier before the World Cup, opting instead to stay in Vancouver and cement the roster spot he won with aplomb last year. It worked: Berhalter appeared in all five of the USA’s contests and scored in the 3-2 group stage loss to vs. Türkiye. Now he’ll try to help ‘Boro gain promotion back to the Premier League after heartbreak in last season’s promotion playoff final. Berhalter walked straight into coach Kim Hellberg’s starting lineup upon arrival in late July, notching the game-winning assist against Wrexham in his first appearance the following week. The 25-year-old, who would’ve been a free agent this winter, has started each of the club’s five games across all competitions so far. Max Arfsten: Columbus Crew To Middlesbrough Arfsten became the third American at ‘Boro, joining Berhalter and Aidan Morris — one of the final cuts to Pochettino’s roster — when he signed Aug. 4 for a fee of up to $7.5 including incentives, according to the Athletic’s Tom Bogert. The attack-minded left back made one brief cameo as Antonee “Jedi”Robinson deputy at the World Cup. He could play a larger role under Poch this cycle given the 29-year-old Jedi’s history of knee problems. Arfsten, 25, is already gaining crucial experience in the rough and tumble Championship, having appeared in all three league games last month ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Burnley. Jack McGlynn: Houston Dynamo To Stoke City Although an untimely injury cost the sweet-footed lefty any real chance of competing for a place on the Americans’ World Cup squad, McGlynn, 23, will be just entering his prime in 2030. Pochettino likes the Queens, New York product’s profile, having capped him 12 times in 2025 and getting two goals in return. Stoke needs the help, with the longtime Premier League team languishing in 21st place in the 24-strong Championship four games into the 2026-27 campaign. They got some by landing McGlynn on Deadline Day.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
James C. “Jim” McDermott is running for Alaska’s U.S. House seat in the 2026 election. (Division of Elections photo)
On the morning after he became one of four finalists in the race for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, Libertarian candidate Jim McDermott had to apologize.
He didn’t have much time to talk, he said, because he was busy working as a school tutor at Fort Wainwright, in his home town of Fairbanks.
McDermott, a Libertarian, became an unlikely figure in Alaska’s U.S. House race after four different candidates — three Democrats and a Republican — quit the contest, which put the eighth-place candidate into the last spot in Alaska’s top-four general election.
McDermott said he first learned about his finalist status from the Alaska Beacon.
On Tuesday morning, he said he feels as if Americans are developing a desire for a third party, an option that isn’t Democratic or Republican.
“I’ve been telling the Libertarian Party, ‘Guys, gals, this is our time,’” he said. “And now I see this. I feel like God’s hand is at work here. Here I am now in fourth. I was in eighth. I’m like, ‘How in the world did I get the fourth?’ So I’ll take it.”
McDermott was endorsed by the Alaska Libertarian Party, which advocates for individual freedoms, limited government and a free-market economy. It is the third-largest political party in Alaska, with more than 6,000 members.
Under Alaska’s elections system, the top four primary election candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election in November.
There, voters are asked to rank the four finalists (and a write-in candidate, if wanted) in order of preference. If one candidate gets more than 50% of the first-place votes, they win.
If no one has more than 50%, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. Any voter who picked them has their vote instead go to their second choice.
The process of elimination continues until only two candidates are left, and the one with the most votes wins.
In certified results for the August primary, Republican incumbent Rep. Nick Begich III had 44.6% of the vote, followed by independent challenger Bill Hill with 32.5%. Democratic challenger Matt Schultz was third but suspended his campaign before the primary and withdrew ahead of Monday’s deadline, which put Democratic candidate Eric Hafner in the third slot instead.
“I’ll gladly run against these wonderful people. They’re good people. They have good hearts for the most part,” McDermott said.
Hafner is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for threatening public officials while living overseas. He has never lived in Alaska and — barring a pardon — cannot live here if elected.
Two years ago, an Alaska state judge ruled that while it is unlikely that Hafner could serve if elected, neither Alaska law nor the U.S. Constitution prohibit him from running for office.
The Alaska Supreme Court has not taken up the issue.
Hafner earned 3.8% of the vote in the August primary and will be the sole Democrat on the ballot in November.
The fourth spot on the ballot could have gone to two different Democrats — including one whose listed address is in Massachusetts — or a Republican, but each of those candidates withdrew from the race before a Monday deadline.
That left McDermott, who earned 1.2% of the vote — 1,951 votes out of 162,932 in the race — enough for eighth place among 15 candidates in the primary.
This is McDermott’s second run for Alaska’s U.S. House seat. In 2014, he received 7.61% of the vote in the general election. Republican incumbent Rep. Don Young won the race with 51% of the vote; Democratic challenger Forrest Dunbar finished second.
McDermott’s website from that campaign is still active, and as he spoke Tuesday, his stated policy priorities weren’t significantly different from what they were back then.
“I would look for more independence for people, and when I’m talking about that, it’s very simple. I’m just looking at less laws that are in place that hinder small businesses, hinder big businesses, but I kind of lean towards the small business,” he said.
McDermott favors term limits and was noncommittal about whether he would caucus with Democrats or Republicans in the U.S. House if elected.
“I would look for like-minded (people). I know I’m not going to be very popular with either group,” he said. “I’m a Libertarian. Personal liberties are our No. 1 core, and that’s what I’m going to be driving home.”
The U.S. House is closely divided between Republican and Democratic control, and Alaska is one of a relative handful of tossup states that could decide control of the House.
A former noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, McDermott stayed in Alaska after his last tour of duty brought him to Anchorage. After 15 years in that city, he moved to Fairbanks in 2006 and has lived there ever since, working at the University of Alaska and in a variety of other roles.
McDermott said he’s looking forward to campaigning and introducing himself to Alaskans.
“I have a pretty decent resume, and so I’d love to give it a shot,” he said.
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The first leaves begin to take their fall colors on the trees in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
Final results from Alaska’s August primary election indicate existing coalition majorities in the state House and Senate are likely to continue after November’s general election and could even grow.
Alaska is the only state in the country where the state House and Senate are both controlled by coalitions of Democrats, independents and Republicans, something that forces bipartisan and multipartisan negotiations and compromises.
In Monday’s certified primary results, coalition-leaning candidates led 24 of 40 state House races. The current coalition majority includes 21 lawmakers — two Republicans, 16 Democrats and three independents.
In the state Senate, 10 of 20 seats are up for election this year. Coalition members or coalition-inclined candidates lead in seven of those races. Seven other coalition members are not up for election this year.
“I think you have a chance for one of the strongest coalitions in a very long time,” said Andrew Halcro, a former state legislator and moderate Republican who commentates on Alaska politics via a popular podcast.
Any majority group that controls the House and Senate dictates the agenda — who chairs committees, what bills advance and which ones do not.
In the 34th Alaska State Legislature, conflicts between the coalition-led Legislature and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a conservative Republican, led to a record number of vetoes and a lack of resolution on major issues, including a proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline, increases in education funding and a long-term plan to balance state expenses and revenue.
Senate District S – Southwest Alaska
Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, is retiring this year as the longest-serving member of the Alaska Legislature in state history.
Five people signed up to replace him, including current Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham. Edgmon was the top finisher in the primary, with 37.9% of the vote.
The other finalists in November’s election will be Republican Darren Deacon (23.9%), Democrat Wassilie Guy (18.9%), and nonpartisan Richard Robb (11.5%). None filed withdrawal paperwork before Monday’s deadline.
The fifth-place finisher was undeclared candidate Wayne Morgan (7.9%). He is eliminated and will not advance to November.
This year, 4,184 people voted in the district, and turnout was up significantly from two years ago, when 2,899 people voted in the primary.
In 2022, during a primary that coincided with a special general election, 4,257 people voted in the district and Hoffman earned 66.2% of the vote in a two-way race against Veterans Party candidate Willy Keppel.
House District 37 – Bristol Bay and the Aleutian Islands
Edgmon’s decision to run for Senate means there is no incumbent in the race to represent House District 37, which covers Bristol Bay and the Aleutians.
Seven candidates registered for the primary, the most of any state House race in Alaska.
The district is a tossup politically — two years ago, 50.8% of participating voters picked Republican Donald Trump for President, but 52.9% voted for Democratic U.S. House candidate Mary Peltola and 72.5% went for Edgmon for U.S. House.
Four years ago, the district went for Peltola and Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the general election.
In the August primary, Republican Brenda Wilson of King Cove had 22.6% of the vote, the most among the seven candidates for state House.
The other three finalists are Democratic candidate Evelynn Trefon (19.8%), nonpartisan Mark Smith (17.5%) and nonpartisan Cade Woods (9.2%).
Democratic candidate Dennis Robinson had 15.1% of the vote but withdrew before Monday’s deadline, as did undeclared candidate Kimberly Johnson, who had 10.7% of the vote. Their withdrawals cleared the way for Woods to be promoted into the fourth spot.
As a result, there will be one Democrat, one Republican and two independents to pick from in November.
House District 23 – Eagle River
Incumbent Republican Rep. Jamie Allard was the top vote-getter in a five-way primary election for the state House seat representing half of Eagle River, earning 39.8% of the vote in a strongly Republican district.
Democratic candidate Jim Arlington advanced to the November election with 31.9% of the vote, followed by Republican Ruby Jones (13.9%) and Democrat Lee Hammermeister (5.8%).
Republican Nick Capozzi finished ahead of Hammermeister with 8.6% of the vote but withdrew before Monday’s deadline. In a statement on Facebook, he said he was withdrawing to fulfill a pre-election pledge to stop his campaign if he was “soundly defeated” in the primary.
Capozzi said he is not endorsing Allard and believes there is “growing dissatisfaction” with her in the district.
“While I sincerely hope District 23 is well represented, I believe the Republican Party should carefully evaluate who is best positioned to earn and maintain the confidence of District 23 voters in future elections,” he wrote.
Hammermeister, though registered as a Democratic candidate, does not have the party’s support.
House District 29 – Eastern Mat-Su
Incumbent Republican Rep. Garret Nelson of Sutton was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to represent the district after Dunleavy appointed its former representative, Republican George Rauscher, to the state Senate.
In the August primary, Nelson finished second, behind Republican Steve Menard, who had 39.4% of the vote in a six-way race that was the second most crowded among legislative contests last month.
Nelson had 23.2% of the vote, just ahead of Democratic candidate Kimberly Slone, who had 23.1% of the vote as the sole Democrat in a strongly Republican district.
Nonpartisan candidate Jessica Kusner-Kalarchik was fourth, with 8%.
Libertarian candidate Candice Frisby (4.2%) and undeclared candidate Amber Hansen (2%) were eliminated after finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
House District 30 – Big Lake
A five-way race for the state House district representing Big Lake, the Denali Borough and the western Matanuska-Susitna Borough resulted in just three candidates advancing to the November election after the two lowest finishers withdrew ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Kevin McCabe had 32.4% of the vote in the heavily Republican district, followed by Democratic candidate Sandra Loomis with 29.2%.
Republican challenger Doug Massie was third, with 20.6%.
Withdrawals leave two more candidates running unopposed
Among Alaska’s 40 state House elections, four incumbents ran unopposed in August and will be unopposed in November, except for write-ins.
After one candidate was disqualified and another withdrew on Monday, two more races will also have candidates running unopposed.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican, disqualified Republican House District 22 candidate Jose Roel Tagle after the Alaska Public Offices Commission said he had violated state law by failing to disclose his personal finances on time.
Tagle’s disqualification leaves Democratic incumbent Ted Eischeid as the only candidate for the Anchorage district.
Elsewhere in Anchorage, former Anchorage Assembly member Felix Rivera quit the House District 13 race ahead of Monday’s deadline.
That district is currently represented by Democrat Andy Josephson, who is retiring and isn’t seeking re-election. Rivera’s departure leaves Democrat Lisa Keller as the only option on the ballot in November.
The other four unopposed state House legislators are Reps. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau; Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage; Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage; and Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks.
In the Senate, three of 10 races are unopposed: Sens. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage; and Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, all remain on track to return to the Capitol in January.
In open districts, conservative Republican candidates tended to trail
While Republican candidate Brenda Wilson led all challengers in the primary for House District 37, her performance wasn’t repeated by all Republicans in open state House and Senate seats
In Senate District C, which covers Kodiak, Cordova and parts of the southern Kenai Peninsula, Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, earned 49.4% of the vote to replace Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak.
Stevens is retiring, and the seat has no incumbent. Stutes is a moderate, one of two Republican members of the House’s coalition majority, and is expected to replace Stevens in the Senate’s coalition majority if elected.
Two more conservative Republicans, Heath Smith of Homer (37.8%) and Carrie Harris of Anchor Point (12.9%) finished behind Stutes in second and third.
In Stutes’ House District 5 in Kodiak, nonpartisan candidate Kathy Simpler had 61.4% of the vote against Republican challenger Sheldon Prout in a head-to-head race.
In Anchorage, where Democratic candidate Cliff Groh is attempting a return to the state House in the district covering Government Hill and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, he had 67.2% of the vote against Republican challenger Dan Sager. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. David Nelson, who is not seeking re-election.
Farther north, in Eagle River, Republican Rep. Dan Saddler is retiring. Republican Ken McCarty, a former legislator himself, led a three-way race to replace Saddler, earning 46.8% of the vote.
One of the other candidates in the race, former Rep. Sharon Jackson, withdrew ahead of Monday’s deadline. That leaves Republican Gina Wall, who earned 33.8% of the primary vote, as McCarty’s sole challenger.
In Fairbanks, Republican Rep. Frank Tomaszewski is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Republican Robert Myers. Primary results showed him with 60.9% of the vote in a head-to-head race against Democratic challenger William Hunt.
Four incumbents trail in primary, but outcomes could change in November
In Anchorage’s Sand Lake neighborhood, Democratic candidate Denny Wells had 52.7% of the vote in a head-to-head race against Republican incumbent Rep. Mia Costello.
That’s a reversal of the general-election result two years ago, when Costello had 51.5% of the vote in a race against Wells and perennial candidate Dustin Darden, running as a Democrat.
The district has a slight Republican lean — it went for Trump two years ago, but the Republican candidate had less than 50% of the district’s vote for president.
In Homer, Republican Rep. Sarah Vance finished the primary more than 13 percentage points behind nonpartisan challenger Brent Johnson, who earned 56.9% of the vote in a head-to-head race.
Vance has been in office since 2019 and has governed as a Christian conservative, but she appeared to alienate some conservative Republicans this year when she worked across party lines on a bipartisan election reform bill.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed that bill, and lawmakers sustained his veto after two Republicans — both from southeast Alaska — switched from supporting the bill to opposing it.
In Fairbanks, Rep. Tomaszewski’s wife, Harmony, is the lone Republican candidate in the strongly Republican district being vacated by Tomaszewski. But in final primary election results, Harmony trailed nonpartisan candidate Joy Beth Cottle by 6 percentage points.
The two will appear on the ballot again in November.
In Western Alaska, Rep. Nellie Unangiq Jimmie was the only incumbent Democrat who didn’t finish first in the primary.
With 29% of the vote, she finished second to former Democratic Rep. CJ McCormick, whom she defeated in 2024.
Republican Willy Keppel was third with 24.3% of the vote, followed by nonpartisan candidate Joseph Amik, with 14.7%.
Turnout in the Democratic-leaning district was low by comparison with the rest of the state — fewer than 16% of eligible voters cast ballots in the primary.
Primary success isn’t a guarantee of success in November, even in head-to-head contests: Two years ago, Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, received fewer votes in the August primary than his Republican challenger, Leslie Hajdukovich.
Just three months later, Kawasaki reversed that result and remains a member of the Senate today.