Jay Feely won the Arizona Republican primary on Tuesday night, moving the former NFL kicker into the general election after his first bid for public office at age 50. He will face the winner of the still-uncalled Democratic primary between Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods.
Jay Feely and the Arizona race
Feely defeated former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in the Arizona Republican primary. The district includes parts of Phoenix and most of Scottsdale, which makes the Democratic result the missing piece before the matchup is complete.
Feely ran with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. He also drew donations from sports figures, including $7,000 from Roger Goodell, $7,000 from Michael Bidwill, $3,500 from Arthur Blank, $7,000 from Bob Kraft, $5,000 from Stephen Ross and money from Jimmy Haslam.
Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods
The Democratic side stayed unresolved Tuesday night, leaving Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods in a race that will determine who faces Feely in the general election. Democrats had spent approximately $7 million in their primary race, a level of spending that left the party still waiting for its nominee.
At his victory celebration, Feely tied his run to his personal reason for entering politics. “Why did I decide to run for office? It is a desire to leave this country better for our children and our grandchildren,” he said. He added, “That’s it in its core.”
He also cast the race as a fight over the direction of the country, saying, “You know, what we’re doing is fighting for the future of this country. I truly believe that. When you look at the two parties, they’ve never been further apart ideologically. Never. And the Democrat Party has embraced Democratic socialism.”
For now, the practical result is simple: Feely has his nomination, and the district’s November pairing still depends on Amish Shah or Galán-Woods winning the Democratic primary. Until that call arrives, the general-election field stays open on one side and set on the other.
