Jay Feely, the Republican candidate for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, warned Wednesday at the Republican Midterm Convention that America is far from finished and young Americans must take up the challenge to build prosperity.
In his speech, Feely, a former NFL kicker with 14 seasons of experience, cited President Donald Trump’s courage on the day he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania. “Prosperity cannot be created by government spending,” he stated at the convention. “We need to be equally clear about where we stand.”
The candidate described how Trump, with blood on his hand and ear, “told this nation to fight” after the assassination attempt. Feely said that Trump’s actions inspired him and his wife to leave their “dream job” in football broadcasting to enter politics.
Feely, who is running against Democrat Amish Shah—born in Illinois to Indian immigrants—emphasized that young people are not inheriting a finished America but an opportunity to build the next company or create inventions. “We cannot tax our way to prosperity,” he added.
The race follows the open seat left by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who sought the governorship of Arizona but lost the primary to Rep. Andy Biggs in July. Feely was joined on stage by Mike Bouchard, the Republican candidate for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District and a veteran who deployed in Iraq to fight ISIS in 2025.
