FEC reports show House moderates aim to flip conservative district from Freedom Caucus

In the already contentious race to replace Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for Governor of Arizona, a look into early donations appears to show an effort from congressional moderates to ensure their favorite, former NFL Kicker Jay Feely, wins the primary. Majority leader, WHIPs, and House leadership tend to opt for restraint in primaries early on, but three separate leadership PACs have contributed to Feely’s campaign in an effort one popular commentator has called “targeted.”

Feely is competing in a highly contested race, where Daniel Keenan, a Gilbert, Arizona-based homebuilder, holds the second-highest fundraising total, trailing only Feely. Keenan has pledged to join the House Freedom Caucus. He’s met with other conservative stalwarts like Matt Gaetz and Eli Crane while in D.C., and recently he’s met with President Trump’s team in the Capitol.

To win, Keenan must surpass the name recognition Feely garnered from his over 14,000 NFL points, including a rushing touchdown, by the way. If Feely gains more support from Making Effective Republicans, Rep. Emmer’s PAC, First in Freedom PAC, Rep. Hudson’s PAC, Defending The American Dream, Rep. Ciscomani’s PAC, and the Freedom Caucus, they may need an endorsement from President Trump to hold the seat.

Arizona’s East Valley is reliably red, and Biggs capitalized on that fact during his congressional tenure, where he led the charge of fiscal conservatism, constitutional fidelity, and pushing back against establishment overreach for the Freedom Caucus. There have been some notable instances of Freedom Caucus members at odds with Emmer over the past few years. Emmer’s critical vote against establishing a national commission to investigate the January 6 attack in 2021 stands out. 

Two years later, after Emmer secured the nomination for Speaker of the House, President Trump derailed the bid by labeling Emmer a “Globalist RINO” who was “totally out of touch with Republican voters” on his Truth Social platform. NRCC Chair Richard Hudson, another Feely donor, consistently had to defend his “bipartisan” votes on bills pushed by Biden before he embraced MAGA rhetoric during his rise to leadership. Keenan has reportedly met with the NRCC, and their relationship could grow.

For what it’s worth, when asked about the conservative Freedom Caucus, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in late July that the “Freedom Caucus brings valuable energy to our conference.” Any tone of “unity” is welcome news for Keenan; does this mean House leadership will remain neutral from here on out? Only time will tell - deep red districts typically have strong local elements that sway voters as well. The seat is, after all, nestled about half an hour away from the headquarters of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point Action organization. In the meantime, Arizona’s 5th Congressional District race only figures to get tighter. Former state legislator Travis Grantham has also raised over a quarter-million dollars in the race, and we’re still a year away from Arizona’s Republican primary.