Former NFL kicker Jay Feely is headed to the general election after securing a decisive victory in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, a key swing seat that both parties view as one of the nation’s most competitive House races.
Feely, who played five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, defeated former state Sen. Joseph Chaplik and technology executive John Trobough to capture the Republican nomination. President Donald Trump had endorsed Feely during the campaign, giving the former NFL player a significant boost in the crowded primary.
With more than 85 percent of ballots counted by Wednesday morning, Feely led the field with approximately 49.7 percent of the vote, holding a margin of roughly 11,000 votes over Chaplik.
Addressing supporters after his victory, Feely said his decision to enter politics was driven by concerns about the country’s future.
“I decided to run because of a desire to leave this country better for our children and our grandchildren,” Feely said.
He also drew a sharp contrast between the two major political parties, arguing that Democrats have embraced policies he believes move the country in the wrong direction.
“When you look at the two parties, they’ve never been further apart ideologically,” Feely said. “And the Democrat Party has embraced Democrat Socialism. They have chosen to move further to the left.”
Republican nominee in #AZ01 @JayFeely in victory speech: “Why did I decide to run for office? It is a desire to leave this country better for our children & our grandchildren.”
“The Democrat Party has embraced Democrat Socialism. They have chosen to move further to the left.”… pic.twitter.com/P8fGvfugvg
— Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 22, 2026
He continued by criticizing proposals he associated with progressive Democrats.
“They are talking about abolishing the border. They are talking about abolishing the police department. They’re talking about abolishing the Senate now,” Feely said. “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.”
While Republicans now have their nominee, Democrats are still awaiting a final result in their primary.
Former state Rep. Amish Shah, a physician, held the lead Wednesday morning with about 40.5 percent of the vote, while former television news anchor Marlene Galán-Woods followed with approximately 33.6 percent. The winner will face Feely in November.
Arizona’s 1st Congressional District is expected to be one of the most closely watched House races in the country.
The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who opted not to seek another term in Congress in order to run for governor. Schweikert’s gubernatorial campaign ended Tuesday when Rep. Andy Biggs won the Republican nomination by a wide margin, receiving more than 73 percent of the vote.
Arizona remains an important battleground state in national politics. Republicans currently hold six of the state’s nine House seats, while Democrats Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate.
Before entering politics, Feely spent more than a decade in the NFL, including five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals from 2010 through 2014. One of the most memorable performances of his career came during the 2010 season when he became the first kicker in league history to score 25 points in a single game. His performance included five field goals, four extra points, and a rushing touchdown on a successful fake field goal.
The Cook Political Report currently rates Arizona’s 1st Congressional District as one of 18 House toss-up races nationwide. With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, both parties are expected to invest heavily in the contest, making Feely’s race one of the most closely watched congressional battles of the 2026 election cycle.
