Former NFL kicker Jay Feely secured the Republican nomination for Arizona's 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, winning a competitive primary in a battleground seat that will help determine control of the House of Representatives. Feely, who received President Donald Trump's endorsement in the final days of the race, defeated former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in the GOP contest to replace Rep. David Schweikert, who is running for governor.
Trump endorsed Feely in a video message days before the July 21 primary, calling him a “true America First conservative” and urging voters to support him. The National Republican Congressional Committee also placed Feely in its “MAGA Majority” program, which the committee says is aimed at supporting America First candidates in competitive districts. Feely's victory gives Republicans a Trump-backed nominee in a Phoenix-area district that both parties see as highly competitive heading into November.
Arizona's 1st Congressional District includes northeastern Maricopa County and large parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills. The seat became open after Schweikert, a Republican, launched a bid for governor but lost his own primary on Tuesday night. The district has remained competitive in recent cycles, making it a key target for both parties as they vie for control of the House.
The GOP primary turned increasingly personal in its final weeks when Chaplik accused Feely on social media of having “imported Haitians,” a remark Feely described as racist and directed at Haitian men he considers family, according to Axios Phoenix. Chaplik shot back on X, saying the tweet had “nothing to do with your two family members and everything to do with your history of bringing large numbers of Haitian migrants to NGOs in an attempt to get amnesty here,” and accused Feely of opposing Trump on Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.
Feely, who has spent years doing nonprofit relief work in Haiti after a devastating 2010 earthquake there, has defended his work as humanitarian, not political. He told Axios Phoenix that he helped two young Haitian men — a translator he worked with and the translator’s brother — come to the United States. Feely said he considers them members of his family and has also tried to assist several of their relatives in relocating.
Feely will now advance to the general election in one of the most closely watched House races in the country. The Democratic candidates for Arizona's 1st Congressional District include former state lawmaker Amish Shah and former television news anchor Marlene Galán-Woods, the two leading Democrats in the race, along with Rick McCartney and Jonathan Treble. The general election is expected to draw significant national attention and spending as both parties seek to flip or hold the seat.
Feely's background as a former NFL kicker who played for several teams, including the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, has brought additional media attention to the race. His transition from professional sports to politics mirrors a broader trend of athletes seeking public office, though his campaign has focused heavily on conservative policy positions and his endorsement from Trump.
The outcome of the primary sets the stage for a contentious general election campaign in a district that has been a bellwether for national political trends. With control of the House at stake, both parties are expected to invest heavily in the race, making it one of the most closely watched contests in the country.