Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely triumphed in Arizona’s 1st District race on Tuesday, a key battleground in the nation.
Feely, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, utilized Trump’s endorsement to defeat former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik.
He will face a significant challenge against the Democratic candidate in November: The 1st District, covering the affluent suburbs north of Phoenix, is a prime target for House Democrats after Trump narrowly won it by three points in 2024. Feely aims to maintain GOP control of the seat amid a midterm year that poses considerable challenges for the party.
Throughout the primary, Chaplik, a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, criticized Feely for not being conservative enough on gun rights and for his humanitarian efforts in Haiti. However, Feely, who occasionally golfs with Trump, relied on his close relationship with the president.
“Who can call [Trump] and who can get him to answer? That’s me,” Feely stated during a debate. “He will take my call and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president.”
Initially, Feely, a former professional football player who once shared a college room with Tom Brady, announced his candidacy for GOP Rep. Andy Biggs’ seat in the 5th District. However, after Trump endorsed former Pinal County sheriff Mark Lamb in that contest, Feely shifted to the 1st District, where he secured the president’s joint endorsement alongside former state GOP chair Gina Swoboda.
“Both fierce advocates of Make America Great Again, Jay and Gina have been with us from the very beginning, and either one would be an incredible Representative,” Trump commented in January on Truth Social.
In February, Swoboda withdrew from the 1st District race to run for secretary of state, paving the way for Feely.
As a participant in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s MAGA Majority fundraising initiative, Feely is expected to receive substantial outside Republican funding in the lead-up to November.
