Former NFL kicker Jay Feely won the Republican nomination for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in one of the state’s most closely watched congressional primaries.
Feely, who received the endorsement of President Donald Trump, will advance to the general election in a district that has become increasingly competitive in recent election cycles, noted Fox News.
The former kicker entered the race with a national profile and an extensive fundraising network built during his 14 seasons in the NFL and his subsequent career as a broadcaster for CBS. Feely played for six NFL teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Michigan, the winningest college football program of all time.
His campaign attracted significant financial support from professional sports executives, team owners and former athletes, writes The Daily Caller.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton each contributed the maximum allowable individual donation of $7,000, according to campaign finance reports.
Other donors included Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Members of the Bidwill family, which owns the Arizona Cardinals, contributed a combined $17,000, while members of the Haslam family, owners of the Cleveland Browns, gave a combined $20,000.
Feely also received donations from NBA Hall of Famer and television commentator Charles Barkley, as well as several prominent former NFL players. The list included Hall of Famers John Elway and Brian Urlacher, along with Rich Gannon, Trent Green, Jeff Saturday, Todd Heap and Richie Incognito.
Some of Feely’s financial supporters, including Blank, have also contributed substantial amounts to Democratic candidates and organizations in previous election cycles.
Feely spent approximately a decade working as a CBS football analyst after retiring from the NFL. During his victory celebration Tuesday, he said his campaign was motivated by concerns about the country’s future.
“It is a desire to leave this country better for our children and our grandchildren,” Feely said at his victory celebration. “That’s it at its core.”
Arizona’s 1st Congressional District has regularly drawn substantial spending from both parties. Democrats directed approximately $7 million into their primary contest, which remained undecided between former state Rep. Amish Shah and former television journalist Marlene Galán-Woods.
Republican Rep. David Schweikert chose not to seek reelection to the House and instead entered the race for governor. He lost the Republican gubernatorial primary to Rep. Andy Biggs by a wide margin.
Schweikert has represented the district in its current configuration since new congressional boundaries took effect in 2023. His departure created an open-seat contest in a district expected to receive national attention during the general election.
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