PHOENIX — Former NFL kicker and broadcaster Jay Feely is getting a taste of full-contact politics.
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Feely said a rival in the 1st Congressional District Republican primary made a racist statement about two young Haitian men who are part of Feely’s extended family.
“You’re saying I imported Haitians,” Feely said in an interview on this weekend’s ‘Sunday Square Off.’ “No, I gave somebody an opportunity to realize the American dream.”
In a post on X, former State Rep. Joseph Chaplik of Scottsdale said:
“I’ve made life better for every citizen in CD-1 serving you for six years in the state House. Jay Feely has only missed field goals to the left – and imported Haitians.”
The Feely family helped two young brothers they met in Haiti settle legally in the United States.
“We started going down after the earthquake in Haiti (in 2010) and rebuilding homes and churches and schools,” Feely said.
Both men were onstage a year ago when Feely announced his original run for Congress in the 5th Congressional District.
Feely, who lives in Gilbert, switched to the 1st District race after a nudge from President Donald Trump.
Chaplik did not respond to a request for comment.
“When you go, and you see real poverty, and you see it firsthand,” Feely said. “You work, and you try to create opportunity for them there in that country, you know you can’t fix all the problems, and so our answer was, ‘Well, we can help this one family.’”
Feely was reluctant to condemn baseless rumors about Haitians in Ohio that were spread by President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.
“They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said during his 2024 debate with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Trump continues to spread the rumor after the debate.
“We’ve never talked about that,” Feely said. “I’m honored to have the endorsement of the president, to be friends with him for a long time. That doesn’t mean you’re going to agree with everything that he says and does.”
Trump has blessed Feely with his endorsement, usually the golden ticket in a competitive Republican primary.
The third candidate in the GOP primary is former tech executive John Trobough.
The 1st District covers parts of Phoenix, plus Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and Fountain Hills. The current congressman, David Schweikert, is running for Arizona governor.
The crucial swing district could help decide which party controls the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterms.
Early ballots will be mailed to voters on June 24. The primary election is July 21.
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