Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker, has won the Republican primary for a U.S. House seat in Arizona, advancing to the general election in a district that includes parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale. Feely's campaign announced his victory Tuesday night.
Feely, who played 14 seasons in the NFL for six different teams, defeated former state Representative Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough. He ran with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. His opponents had questioned his conservative credentials during the primary.
Feely, 50, is making his first run for public office. He stated his motivation for running is to "leave this country better for our children and our grandchildren" and to counter what he described as the Democratic Party's move toward "Democratic socialism."
"They are talking about abolishing the border. They're talking about abolishing the police department. They are talking about abolishing the Senate now. They want to get D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood," Feely told supporters. "The things that they are talking about are changing the very foundation of this country, and what has made it great for 250 years. And we're not going to let it happen."
Feely's primary campaign received substantial financial backing from figures within the sports world, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who contributed the maximum individual donation of $7,000. Several NFL team owners also made contributions, including Michael Bidwill and Bob Kraft of the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, respectively, who each gave $7,000. Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons, Stephen Ross of the Miami Dolphins, and Rob Walton of the Denver Broncos also provided funding.
Former NFL players also supported Feely's campaign, with donations from John Elway, Rich Gannon, Trent Green, Jeff Saturday, Todd Heap, Richie Incognito, Brian Urlacher, and Charles Barkley. Barkley also contributed the maximum $7,000.
Feely will face the winner of the Democratic primary between former state Representative Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods. The Democratic primary race reportedly saw approximately $7 million spent, indicating the importance Democrats place on this contest.
The race for the House seat in Arizona's 1st Congressional District is expected to be competitive. While the district was reliably Republican for decades, population growth and redistricting have made it more competitive. Democrats have won the seat five times since 2013, though they lost it in 2022.