Trump-endorsed Republicans win Arizona primary, former NFL kicker elected to Congress
A slate of candidates backed by President Donald Trump secured victories in Arizona's primary elections, including former NFL kicker Jay Feely winning the 1st Congressional District, while a Democratic socialist challenger was defeated.
Republican candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump captured key races in Arizona's primary elections on Tuesday. Former NFL placekicker Jay Feely defeated former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik to win the 1st Congressional District, a seat being vacated by Rep. David Schweikert, who is running for governor. Feely, a former CBS football analyst, highlighted his ability to contact the president, saying, "> Who can call [Trump] and who can get him to answer? That’s me. He will take my call and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president."
In the 5th District, former Pinal County sheriff Mark Lamb, also backed by Trump, beat construction contractor Daniel Keenan by a margin of nearly 17 percentage points. Lamb, known for his work against drug trafficking across the border, is expected to be the Republican nominee in the general election.
Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, who left his House seat to run for governor with Trump's support, won the gubernatorial primary over Schweikert by a large margin. Biggs said, "> Tonight’s results show that Arizonans overwhelmingly believe in our vision and I’m grateful to have earned their support. Our goal has always been to unite the Republican Party and we’ve done that as much as any nominee in recent memory."
Democratic races saw incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton win the 4th District primary by a wide margin, while former state Rep. Amish Shah led the Democratic primary in the 1st District. The Democratic socialist candidate in the 4th District was defeated.
The outcomes set the stage for the November general election, with Trump-endorsed Republicans heading into the race for governor and several congressional seats.