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Jock vs. Doc.
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely is on track to go up against a familiar face, onetime New York Jets team doctor Amish Shah, in the hotly contested House race for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
They both roamed the sidelines of the Meadowlands together back in 2008 and 2009, when Feely was putting up field goals for the Jets and Shah worked as the team’s emergency care physician.
“If it ends up being Amish Shah, he and I were both with the Jets at one time together. I was playing, he was a doctor,” Feely told reporters after his GOP primary win Tuesday.
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“It’s an old relationship. But whoever [the general election opponent] is, I want to do this the right way. I want to run this the right way,” he added. “I want to make sure that I give them respect, I listen to them and give them the respect that they’re due, but still continue to stand up for my beliefs and what I believe is best for my district and my country.”
Shah, an emergency physician at the Mayo Clinic Arizona and a former member of the state’s House of Representatives, is leading the Democratic field in the 1st District primary by 7 points, but the race is still too close to call.
Feely, who played for six teams — including the Jets and Giants — during his 14 seasons as a pro, won the GOP primary in the wealthy, northeastern Maricopa County district Tuesday night.
The district, which includes parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and north Phoenix, is considered to be a toss-up in the general election.
The 1st District House seat is being vacated by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who opted to run for governor but lost Tuesday night.
Democrats have targeted the district as a key flip opportunity as they try to regain the House majority after four years out of power.
Feely, who is also a former CBS football analyst. was endorsed by President Trump in January.
