Arizona

Trump issues rare dual endorsement in Arizona swing district

Published

3 weeks ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Trump issues rare dual endorsement in Arizona swing district

The president praised both Jay Feely and Gina Swoboda as “Highly Respected America First Patriots.”
The president’s team had not publicly confirmed his endorsement of Swoboda before the Jan. 6 social media post.
The district, which includes wealthy pockets of Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and north Phoenix, has a hot-and-cold relationship with the president.

President Donald Trump endorsed not one but two Republicans in a highly watched Arizona congressional primary, boosting a new candidate after his first pick met resistance from some in the GOP.

In a Jan. 6 social media post, Trump said he was backing Jay Feely, a former Cardinals kicker and sports commentator who recently switched his campaign into Arizona’s Scottsdale-area 1st Congressional District, in addition to Gina Swoboda, the state GOP chair whose candidacy has divided Republicans despite her securing Trump’s support in October.

The president praised both Feely and Swoboda as “Highly Respected America First Patriots.”

“JAY OR GINA WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” he wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns.

The announcement is a blow to Swoboda, a polarizing figure among Arizona Republicans. Her longtime rivalry with Turning Point, the network of conservative advocacy groups founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, has shadowed her candidacy, prompting attacks and infighting among Arizona Republicans.

The president’s team had not publicly confirmed his endorsement of Swoboda before the Jan. 6 social media post.

In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Feely said he thought the endorsement came back to his “friendship” and shared values with the president.

“I love what he’s doing. I believe in what he’s doing. I’m committed to the same principles that he and his administration have,” Feely said.

“We wish Gilbert resident Jay Feely well in his latest campaign for Congress, but nothing has changed,” Swoboda campaign consultant Chris Baker shot back in a written statement to The Republic. “Gina Swoboda will be the Republican nominee in AZ01.”

The endorsement will also set back two other high-profile GOP candidates in the race, the ultra-conservative state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough, who both told The Republic they, too, had been in touch with the White House.

Though Trump’s endorsement will be a boon in the Republican primary, it could become a liability in the general election. The district, which includes wealthy pockets of Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and north Phoenix, has a hot-and-cold relationship with the president.

National GOP leaders encouraged him to run in Scottsdale, Feely says

Feely initially launched his campaign in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, which includes much of Chandler, Queen Creek and Gilbert, where he lives with his family. He billed himself as a home-grown candidate with a “heart to serve,” and a MAGA devotee who has a personal relationship with Trump.

His prospects in that district dimmed after the president endorsed one of his opponents, Mark Lamb, the well-known former sheriff of Pinal County. Early polling showed Lamb with a large advantage in the race.

But Trump took a liking to Feely, encouraging the former football player in a November social media post to “run in a different district, or for a different office.”

Feely followed the president’s advice. He switched his campaign into the Scottsdale district on Dec. 19. Trump’s endorsement followed about two weeks later.

In an interview Feely said national Republican leaders in D.C., and “grassroots leadership” in the Valley, encouraged him to pivot to the Scottsdale seat. He said he spoke several times with House Speaker Mike Johnson on the matter.

“I wanted to do what was best for the team,” he told The Arizona Republic.

“If they wanted me to run in CD1, and they felt like I was the best candidate, and the one that could hold that seat, then I was willing to do that.”

It’s rare but not unheard of for the president to endorse multiple candidates in a single race.

Last year Trump endorsed two congressional hopefuls in a West Valley-area Republican primary, including the eventual winner, U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh.

And in Missouri’s 2022 U.S. Senate race, Trump left election-watchers scratching their heads when he endorsed “Eric,” a first name shared by the race’s two front-runners. Both campaigns claimed the endorsement as their own.

For years the Scottsdale-area district has been considered one of the most competitive races in the country. Its incumbent, U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, announced last year he would not seek re-election in 2026, winding down his 15-year tenure on Capitol Hill and setting up a bitter contest for the rare open congressional seat.

Across the aisle, about half a dozen high-profile Democrats are fighting for their party’s nomination.

The candidates have already raised millions of dollars between them, with campaign spending only expected to escalate leading up to the Aug. 4, 2026 primaries. The Nov. 3, 2026, general election will bring millions more expensive television advertisements, mailers, and social media ads to the district, much of it financed by national Republican and Democratic groups wrestling for control over the U.S. House.

Feely has raised more than $1 million, about a third of which he has loaned himself, according to a report filed this fall. His personal financial disclosure shows he is worth at least $15 million, giving him a piggy bank that could help finance a campaign.

Swoboda has raised “quite a bit” of money, said campaign consultant Chris Baker, though her fundraising receipts aren’t yet public.

Rivals slam Feely’s out-of-district residence

Feely’s rivals have slammed him for running in a district where he doesn’t live.

“If Jay Feely wants to travel 50 minutes every day to run in Arizona’s 1st Ccongressional District, where he’s never lived, we will pay for his Uber,” Alfredo Rodriguez, a strategist with the Trobough campaign, wrote in a news release. “Tell him to send us the bill.”

“If Gilbert carpetbagger Jay Feely foolishly thinks he can win in AZ01, then more power to him I guess. But the outcome won’t change – Gina Swoboda will win the Republican primary,” Baker wrote in a statement to The Republic.

Feely said in an interview he has connections to the Scottsdale district, even though he doesn’t actually live there. The district is “about economics” and “represents the entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.

“I’ve invested in companies in this district. My friends and family live in this district. And I want to be an asset to all of them,” Feely said.

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Arizona

BNSF scoops up land around Arizona project site – KTAR.com

Published

12 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Press Room

BNSF scoops up land around Arizona project site – KTAR.com

BNSF is quietly scooping up Wittmann properties around an already sprawling site where the railway giant has long planned to build a $3.2 billion logistics park.

The company this month acquired 55.95 acres across 14 transactions totaling $9,033,750, according to Maricopa County property records. One seller told the Phoenix Business Journal they were unable to disclose more information as they signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Texas rail giant, while other sellers could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

One transaction involved a property purchased in June 2025 for $95,000, which was then sold to BNSF in January for $150,000.

Lena Kent, a company spokesperson, confirmed in an email statement that the company recently purchased additional land in Wittmann adjacent to its existing property.

“This purchase included homes surrounded on all three sides by land BNSF already owned,” Kent said. “Given the proximity of these homes to Logistics Park Phoenix, BNSF believed acquiring the properties was a responsible and appropriate step, and we completed the transaction with willing sellers.”

This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.

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Arizona

This Arizona ZIP code is among most popular places to move right now

Published

24 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Press Room

This Arizona ZIP code is among most popular places to move right now

A recent report named a ZIP code in Surprise among the most popular moving destinations in the U.S.
The 85387 ZIP code in Surprise ranked sixth nationwide for attracting new residents per capita.
Data shows movers are favoring commutable suburban areas with new construction and greater affordability.

As 2026 gets underway, one Arizona ZIP code is standing out nationwide, ranking among the most popular destinations for movers across the U.S.

A recent report by MovingPlace, a website that compares mover services nationwide, named a ZIP code in the West Valley among the areas in the U.S. that is attracting the most people as 2026 kicks off.

The report analyzed U.S. migration flows from December 2025 to determine what American families are prioritizing when looking for an area to relocate. Study data showed families are looking to move to specific neighborhoods rather than just choosing a particular state or region.

Analysts evaluated and compared ZIP codes across the country based on nearly 700,000 recent moves. The ZIP codes were ranked according to the number of moves per capita, total move volume and the biggest month-over-month increases, including both local and inbound relocations.

Here’s what the data showed about the neighborhoods people are moving to, and which Arizona neighborhood is attracting the most movers.

Top 10 most popular ZIP codes to move to in 2026

These are the 10 ZIP codes that are attracting the most new residents per capita, according to MovingPlace.

34987 – Port Saint Lucie, Florida
75114 – Crandall, Texas
87001 – Algodones, New Mexico
80019 – Aurora, Colorado
37228 – Nashville, Tennessee
85387 – Surprise, Arizona
78701 – Austin, Texas
28445 – Holly Ridge, North Carolina
33576 – San Antonio, Florida
75251 – Dallas, Texas

Why is Surprise an attractive area for people moving?

The 85387 ZIP code in the tranquil city of Surprise took the sixth spot nationwide, attracting 11 newcomers per 1,000 residents in December. This was Surprise’s second consecutive month in MovingPlace’s top 10, but its position lowered from No. 5 to No. 6 this month.

The median house price in the area is approximately $440,300, while the median household income is around $95,500, according to the report’s data.

According to the report’s findings, people are increasingly heading toward the commutable edges of major metro areas, where new construction and affordability offer relief from the high costs of urban centers. As part of the rapidly expanding Phoenix area, this Surprise ZIP code is favored for its new residential communities and desert landscapes, according to MovingPlace.

Another Arizona zip code was also highlighted in the study for attracting some of the highest numbers for total moves in December.

How the study was done

MovingPlace based the rankings on proprietary data from millions of residential moves across the U.S. each year. The data for the January report was taken in December 2025.

Analysts looked at origin and destination ZIP codes to calculate which areas are attracting the most new residents, both nationwide and within each state. The dataset for the monthly reports is consistently updated to obtain insights to understand migration trends, highlight patterns in population growth, suburban expansion, and regional hotspots.

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Arizona

Arizona’s ESA program surpasses 100,000 students as enrollment continues rapid growth

Published

2 days ago

January 22, 2026

Press Room

Arizona’s ESA program surpasses 100,000 students as enrollment continues rapid growth

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program has reached a significant milestone, with more than 100,000 students now enrolled in the controversial school choice initiative.

The ESA program allows parents to use tax money that would have been allocated for their child’s public school education to pay for private schooling or homeschooling expenses instead.

Since the program’s universal expansion in 2022, more than 6,000 students join each quarter on average, and the state’s ESA website shows 100,208 ESA students are currently enrolled as of January 20.

Shift in student demographics

Early data showed most ESA students represented additional expenses – children already homeschooled or attending private schools. However, recent trends show a significant shift.

Now, four in 10 new ESA students weren’t previously funded by public education dollars, down from eight in 10 when the program began.

Geographic concentration in suburban areas

ESA enrollment is most popular in the Valley’s suburban communities, particularly in the southeast region. Four of the five ZIP codes adding the most ESA students are located in Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.

The one outlier is ZIP code 85365, which covers the Yuma Proving Grounds area and serves mostly military families.

Public schools losing students to ESA

The school districts experiencing the highest percentage of students leaving for ESA include Kingman Unified, Alhambra Elementary, Dysart Unified, Amphitheatre Unified in Tucson, and Queen Creek Unified.

Among charter schools, online institutions are seeing the most departures. These include ASU Preparatory Digital, Arizona Connections Academy, American Virtual Academy, American Leadership Academy, and charter schools run by Eduprize Schools.

How ESA funds are being spent

Nearly six in 10 ESA dollars spent last quarter went toward private school tuition or textbooks, totaling almost $104 million.

About $70 million was spent on homeschooling or supplemental materials – a category that has drawn scrutiny for some questionable expenses.

Spending drops significantly for other categories, including online learning, disability services for non-universal students, technology, and classes at postsecondary institutions like Mesa Community College.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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