Former Democratic Senator Backs Republican In Key House Race

Former Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has been privately promoting Republican congressional candidate Jay Feely in Arizona, according to a new report.

Sinema told business and political leaders that she voted in the GOP primary and described the former NFL kicker as a “commonsense” candidate and a “fiscal conservative,” Axios reported Tuesday, citing two people who were present for the conversations.

Sinema, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 2022, disclosed her support for Feely during informal meetings with Arizona business and political figures over the past month.

Sinema reportedly said she had gotten to know Feely and his wife and viewed him as the best candidate to help address Arizona’s water challenges, including potential reductions in the state’s share of the Colorado River. She also indicated she was likely to vote for Feely in November.

The former Democratic senator who once represented Arizona as a member of the party was defined by her willingness to break with the Democratic leadership in her final years in the Senate.

Sinema’s support could carry particular significance in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, where she lives and votes. The open-seat contest between Feely and Democratic nominee Amish Shah is among the country’s closely watched House races, with control of Congress potentially at stake.

Cook Political Report moved the race from a toss-up to “Lean Democrat” on September 25, citing a political environment that could benefit Shah. President Donald Trump carried the district by about three percentage points in 2024, while President Joe Biden narrowly won it in 2020.

Feely, a former NFL kicker and football commentator, has already secured Trump’s endorsement. He is campaigning on tax cuts, reduced regulation, and other conservative economic priorities. 

Shah, an emergency physician and former Arizona state representative, is seeking to flip the seat for Democrats for the first time since its map was redrawn. He has criticized the 2025 tax-and-spending law backed by Republicans and supports eliminating tariffs, according to his campaign’s public positions.

The race is taking place as Democrats seek to regain control of the House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority. Reports have identified the state’s 1st and 6th congressional districts as contests that could help determine the balance of power in Washington.

Sinema’s reported involvement offers Feely a potential opening with voters who have supported Democrats in the past but are receptive to candidates who emphasize fiscal restraint or depart from their party’s leadership. Her own political career has been marked by cross-party positioning.

Elected to the House as a Democrat in 2012, Sinema won a Senate seat in 2018 before announcing in December 2022 that she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent. Her break with Democrats followed years of clashes with party leaders over legislation, including proposals to change Senate rules and major spending measures.

Sinema did not immediately respond publicly to the Axios report. Her reported vote in the Republican primary and her private comments about Feely have not been presented as a formal campaign endorsement.

With the November 3 election approaching, the contest between Feely and Shah remains one of the races to watch in the fight for the House. Sinema’s reported support adds a prominent former Democrat to Feely’s list of political allies as both parties compete for the district’s pivotal swing voters.

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