Sawyer Ray Will Lead the 80th Annual Session of Civics Program

ARLINGTON, Va., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A rising high school senior from Fayetteville, Ark., was elected President of the 2026 session of American Legion Boys Nation. Sawyer Ray received a majority of the votes from his fellow Boys Nation “senators” to earn the top office at the 80th annual session of the civics program, held annually in and around the nation’s capital.

Ray, a senior at Fayetteville High School, entered the week as one of 100 young men from 49 states and the District of Columbia who were selected from their respective Boys State programs to spend a week in Arlington, Va., as senators in the Boys Nation program. The 100 senators are divided into two parties, the Federalists and the Nationalists — one from each state. Ray earned nomination from the Nationalist Party and defeated Federalist Lincoln Haussler of Nebraska in Tuesday night’s election.

Ray was sponsored to Arkansas Boys State by Shelton Tucker Craft American Legion Post 27 in Fayetteville, Ark. Ray is the first president from Arkansas in Boys Nation history. During their week at Boys Nation, the 100 young men create their own version of the U.S. Senate, introduce and discuss bills, and elect a president, vice president, president pro tempore and secretary of the senate. They also meet with their home state’s senators and staff, and visit several landmarks in the area. They also have the opportunity to interact with their counterparts at Girls Nation, sponsored by The American Legion Auxiliary.

Also elected to office at Boys Nation 2026:

• Vice President Krish Korrapati of Mooresville, N.C., sponsored by American Legion Post 321 in Mooresville.
• President Pro Tempore Brady Pace of Villa Rica, Ga.
• Secretary of the Senate John Alley Jr. of Bountiful, Utah.

Media Contact: Andy Proffet, (812) 350-9526, wproffet@legion.org

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SOURCE The American Legion