A Republican congressional candidate in one of the nation's most closely watched races says he's getting a boost from one of Arizona's best-known independents.
Jay Feely said former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona, is supporting his campaign.
Sinema, a former Democrat who left the party in 2022, has not publicly confirmed her support for Feely. She hasn't officially endorsed Feely or donated to his campaign. Sinema and an aide did not return The Arizona Republic's requests for comment.
But Feely said in an Oct. 19 interview with The Republic that he hit it off with Sinema when they met earlier this year and found they're like-minded, especially on economic issues. Sinema did not publicly push back after Axios reported in mid-October that she was
talking up Feely in conversations with business and political leaders.
He is pointing to her support as a sign of his bipartisan credentials.
"I want our country to be better for Republicans, for Independents, and for Democrats," Feely said. "I'm happy to have her support."
It's campaign crunch time in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a historically Republican part of northeastern Maricopa County that has wavered between Democrats and Republicans since President Donald Trump's ascent in 2016.
Feely is endorsed by President Donald Trump. He emphasized his relationship with the president when he launched his campaign in the state's much more conservative 5th Congressional District.
Those optics have put him under pressure in general election season, now that he is seeking to win over the Scottsdale area's famously independent-minded voting bloc, and public opinion on Trump has soured.
Feely running against former state Rep. Amish Shah, a Democrat who himself has drawn comparisons to Sinema after his willingness to work with Republicans in the Arizona Legislature angered some of his colleagues.
A spokesperson for Shah declined to comment.
Feely is one of the first Arizona politicians to actively embrace Sinema since her unusually bitter retirement from public life. Her path to re-election narrowed sharply in the years before she left office, as her centrist platform placed her to the left of many Republicans and to the right of many Democrats.
Sinema has also faced questions over her personal conduct. She fell under scrutiny for spending campaign funds on marathons and luxury purchases while a sitting senator. She is now battling an explosive lawsuit that accuses herof seducing and wrecking the marriage of one of her former security guards, who allegedly threatened her life and trashed her home after they broke up.
Since leaving office, Sinema has taken up work as a lobbyist and advocate for causes that are aligned with the business community and conservatives. In 2025 she announced she was joining the global law firm Hogan Lovells as a senior adviser. Later that year, Sinema spoke in support of a data center before Glendale's Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council -- prompting a backlash that ended in the project's defeat.
Unlike Sinema, Feely's views have almost always aligned with Trump since he began running for Congress more than a year ago. Notably, he has continued to defend some of the president's most controversial actions in office, such as the Iran war and the sweeping tariffs, as the elections approach.
But they've bonded over their worldviews, he said.
Like Sinema, Feely has taken a friendly attitude towards data centers. He argued on the campaign trail the developments can be good for Arizona communities if they invest in local areas and use recirculated water to lower their water footprint. An A.I. industry group spent more than half a million dollars in support of his campaign.
He said he and Sinema agree on "trying to create the right economic environment where people can have success" and framed the current elections as a fight between "capitalism and socialism."
He distanced himself from Sinema's book of business.
"That has nothing to do with me," he said.
He said Sinema's support reflects his willingness to have conversations with people across the aisle.
"I think that's one of the reasons why somebody like Senator Sinema would support our campaign: Because they see me as somebody who's thoughtful and rational, and wants to actually accomplish things, and get things done," he said.
Early voting began Oct. 7.
Laura Gersony covers politics for The Arizona Republic. Contact her at 480-372-0389 or Laura.Gersony@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Kyrsten Sinema supporting Jay Feely? She hasn't said but he says so
