The seat for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District is wide open after US Rep. David Schweikert (R-Scottsdale) passed on reelection, trading his Congressional seat for a bid for governor—a bid he lost in the Republican primary to US Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert).
The battleground district, representing Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, and parts of Phoenix has been a Democratic target since 2022 redistricting. Trump carried it by about three points in 2024, and it’s one of a handful of nationwide seats that could decide control of the House this November. The Cook Political Report rates this race as a “toss-up.”
So, who’s running?
The Democrat: Amish Shah
A former state lawmaker and ER doctor, Amish Shah won the Democratic nomination after the Associated Press (AP) called the race July 22 against former broadcast journalist and Republican-turned-Democrat Marlene Galán-Woods, who was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Shah previously ran in 2024 but lost to Schweikert by a 52%-48% margin.
As a state lawmaker, Shah built a bipartisan record, passing more successful bills than most Democratic colleagues in the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature. As a candidate, he has run a ground campaign of door-knocking and face-to-face conversations with thousands of voters.
According to his campaign website, Shah’s top issues include affordability, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, and universal health care.
Pointing to skyrocketing costs under President Donald Trump’s administration, Shah wrote that a top priority is ensuring Arizona families can afford groceries, housing, and health care costs.
“Costs are too high for the working families of Arizona as the cost of housing, groceries, and health care go up, and the Trump Administration is making the problem worse by threatening and enacting reckless tariffs on goods that we rely on every day,” Shah wrote on his website.
The former lawmaker is also highly critical of Trump’s tariff policies, which he says have negatively impacted local families, farmers, and small businesses.
“Dr. Shah will fight to: ensure families can afford groceries and essentials, end crushing tariffs that are skyrocketing prices, [and] stop the chaos in Washington to revive job growth and business investment.”
Shah also named protecting democracy as a top issue, citing Trump’s attacks on the judicial branch, Republican gerrymandering efforts, and activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that has left longtime Arizonans in ICE custody.
“The Trump Administration has been trampling on the U.S. Constitution: attacking judges, defying court orders—including from the U.S. Supreme Court—and carrying out enforcement actions without due process. In Congress, Dr. Shah will stand up for the rule of law.”
The Republican: Jay Feely
A former kicker in the National Football League (NFL), Jay Feely originally entered the race for the 5th Congressional District, the seat US Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert) left open to run for governor. Feely has never held elected office.
After Trump put his support behind Pinal County sheriff Mark Lamb—who was later accused of sexual misconduct in May—in that race and encouraged Feely to run elsewhere, the ex-kicker switched to the 1st District. Trump then endorsed him in a post on Truth Social.
“Both fierce advocates of Make America Great Again, Jay and Gina have been with us from the very beginning, and either one would be an incredible Representative who would work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
“Gina” was Gina Swoboda, then Arizona’s Republican Party chair and a rival candidate for the seat, who later dropped out to run for secretary of state.
Feely is running as a staunch Trump ally on issues including border security, the economy, energy independence, and cultural issues like opposing transgender athletes in girls’ school sports and diversity initiatives.
“I am unashamed to say: boys should not be competing against girls in sports. Plain and simple. Radical gender ideology is destroying fairness and opportunity for young women, and weak leaders are letting it happen.”
On his campaign website, Feely voiced support for Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which has left 65,765 people in ICE custody nationwide, according to TRAC, a research center at Syracuse University.
“In Congress, I’ll fight to finish the wall, dismantle the Biden/Harris open-borders agenda, and deliver results,” Feely wrote on his campaign website. “That includes supporting mass deportations of violent offenders, fully backing our police, Border Patrol and ICE agents, and working to eradicate fentanyl before it reaches our neighborhoods.”
During the Republican primary, Feely took a positive stance on the AI industry and data centers, saying much of the public outrage over data centers is due to a Chinese-led influence campaign.
The two will face off on Nov. 3 in a race both parties see as pivotal to control the US House.
