Former NFL kicker Jay Feely won Arizona’s Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District on July 21, 2026, capturing 49.8 percent of the vote and advancing to a competitive general election in November. Feely defeated former state Representative Joseph Chaplik, who received 35.7 percent, and businessman John Trobough, who garnered 14.5 percent, according to the Associated Press.
The Arizona 1st Congressional District spans affluent suburbs north of Phoenix, including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills. It ranks among the nation’s most competitive House races, with Democrats viewing it as a top target after President Trump won the district by only three points in 2024.
Feely, who kicked for the Arizona Cardinals during his NFL career, leveraged a Trump endorsement to win the primary. He claimed proximity to the president as a key advantage during debates, stating that Trump would take his calls and listen to his counsel. Trump had endorsed both Feely and former state GOP chair Gina Swoboda for the seat in January, though Swoboda later withdrew to run for secretary of state.
Feely will face Democrat Amish Shah in November. Shah, an emergency room physician, won the Democratic primary with 42 percent of the vote, defeating television news anchor Marlene Galán-Woods by nearly 10 percentage points. Shah previously ran for the seat in 2024, losing to incumbent David Schweikert by just 3.8 percentage points—a margin that underscored the district’s competitive nature.
The open seat emerged after Schweikert left to run for governor. During the Republican primary, Chaplik, a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, attacked Feely for his positions on gun rights and his humanitarian work in Haiti. Feely countered by emphasizing his relationship with Trump and his business experience.
As a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s MAGA Majority fundraising program, Feely is positioned to receive substantial outside Republican spending heading into November. The race will be closely watched as Republicans seek to maintain their House majority in a midterm year, with the party currently holding a 217-212 advantage and facing significant headwinds in competitive districts like Arizona’s 1st.
Sources
- Politico — Feely’s primary victory, vote totals, Trump endorsement, debate quotes, and district competitiveness
- Arizona Mirror — Primary results, district demographics, Shah’s victory and prior 2024 race performance, Schweikert’s exit
- Ballotpedia — Official primary vote tallies and candidate results
- USA Today — Feely’s background and age verification
- Fox News — Feely’s NFL career context
