Republican · Arizona's 1st District · 2026
Jay Feely
Feely spent 14 years kicking in the NFL, including four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, before moving into sports broadcasting.
Biography
Jay Feely met his wife, Rebecca, at the University of Michigan, where he played on the 1997 national championship football team.1 They settled in Arizona after he signed with the Cardinals and raised four children there, making the Valley home after a career that took him around the country.2
Before reaching the NFL, Feely worked as a financial adviser for two years.1 He then spent 14 seasons in the NFL, including four with the Cardinals, and moved into CBS football broadcasting after retirement.2 His work also included representing players on the NFL Players Association's executive committee and participating in labor negotiations.1
In 2012, he and Rebecca established the Feely Family Foundation, focused on young people and education.1 He served on the Gilbert Christian school board and started its girls' soccer program, coaching his oldest daughter and leading the team to the 2020 3A state championship.13
Feely's campaign emphasizes stronger immigration enforcement, middle class tax cuts and restrictions on transgender participation in girls' sports.2 He is the Republican nominee against Democrat Amish Shah in the open First District race, where both parties are competing for a seat with implications for control of the House.45