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4 highlights from Arizona primaries: Progressive Dem loses; Trump-backed candidates win

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
Jay Feely speaks at the "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026.
Jay Feely speaks at the "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026. | Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jay_Feely_2026.jpg
2. Former NFL kicker wins Republican nomination for competitive House seat

One of the congressional races that will determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives is Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, currently represented by Schweikert.

Unofficial results show Jay Feely, who played four seasons of his 14-season NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, winning the Republican primary with 49.8% of the vote. The runner-up, Joseph Chaplik, has captured 35.7% support. 

Feely was Trump’s preferred candidate in the Republican primary. The president stated in a Truth Social endorsement of Feely published July 10 that Feely's “career was ‘loaded up’ with Accolades and WINS.”

Feely’s NFL career lasted from 2001 to 2014 and included stints with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. 

Arizona’s 1st Congressional District is a swing district, which Trump carried by about 3 percentage points in 2024. Feely will face off against Democrat Amish Shah, who has won 39.4% of the vote in the Democratic primary based on the unofficial results. Shah finished narrowly ahead of Marlene Galan Woods, who captured 34.3% of the vote. 

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com

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