A slate of Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump, including ex-NFL kicker Jay Feely, achieved victories in Arizona's primary elections on Tuesday. Simultaneously, a Democratic socialist candidate for the House of Representatives experienced a significant defeat.
Feely, who played 14 seasons in the NFL with teams including the New York Giants and Jets, won the Republican nomination for Arizona's 1st Congressional District. He defeated former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik in the contest for the seat being vacated by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who is running for governor. The 1st District, covering northeastern Maricopa County, is considered a key target for Democrats seeking to regain the House majority.
Feely, a former CBS football analyst, emphasized his connection to Trump during his campaign, stating, "He will take my call and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president."
In the 5th Congressional District, Trump-endorsed former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb secured the Republican nomination, defeating construction contractor Daniel Keenan by a wide margin. Trump had praised Lamb's stance on border security and law and order. Lamb is expected to be the favored candidate in the solidly Republican district against Democratic nominee Elizabeth Lee in the general election.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who represented the 5th District, did not seek reelection and instead ran in the Republican gubernatorial primary. With Trump's support, Biggs defeated former state Rep. Kelli Ward in that race. Biggs, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, will now face incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs in November.
In the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) easily defeated his Democratic primary challenger, Kai Newkirk. Newkirk had criticized Stanton's voting record, particularly his support for the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested or convicted of certain crimes.
Details on the Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District, where former state Rep. Amish Shah was in a close race with TV journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, were still being finalized as of Wednesday morning.