Ex-NFL Kicker Wins Arizona GOP Primary Amid Trump Endorsement and Xenophobic Attacks
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Jay Feely, a former NFL player, clinched the Republican nomination for Arizona's 1st Congressional District after receiving Donald Trump's backing, despite facing racist smears from his opponent.
Former NFL placekicker Jay Feely won the Republican primary for Arizona's 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, emerging as the GOP nominee for the open seat previously held by Rep. David Schweikert, who is now seeking the governorship. Feely defeated former state legislator Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in a race that analysts say will be crucial in shaping the balance of power in the U.S. House.
President Donald Trump, notorious for his divisive and reactionary politics, released a video message endorsing Feely in the final days of the race, calling him a 'true America First conservative' and urging voters to support him on July 21. The National Republican Congressional Committee, ever eager to prop up right-wing candidates, added Feely to its program for competitive districts.
The campaign took an ugly turn when Chaplik resorted to xenophobic attacks, accusing Feely on social media of 'importing Haitians'—a racist smear that Feely rightly condemned. Feely, who has engaged in humanitarian work in Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake, explained that he helped two Haitian men—a translator and his brother—relocate to the U.S. and considers them family.
Feely now advances to the November general election in a district spanning parts of northeastern Maricopa County, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills—a battleground where both parties are fighting for the future of democracy.