Democrats Target Open Arizona Seat in Tight Midterm Race
Amish Shah and Jay Feely compete for Arizona's first congressional district in a race the Cook Political Report now rates as leaning Democratic.
Democrat Amish Shah and Republican Jay Feely are competing for Arizona's first congressional district in the November 3 midterm elections. The seat became open after Republican David Schweikert declined to seek a ninth term to run for governor. The Cook Political Report recently upgraded the race's rating from toss-up to leans Democrat, though the outcome remains dependent on a large population of independent voters.
Shah, an emergency room doctor and former state lawmaker who narrowly lost the seat in 2024, has shifted his healthcare platform from single-payer to a public option. He is campaigning on reproductive rights and inflation. Feely, a former NFL kicker and broadcaster, received an endorsement from Donald Trump but has recently de-emphasized that connection to appeal to centrist voters. He advocates for local control of abortion policy.
Campaigning has intensified across the district's affluent suburbs, where some lifelong Republicans are moving toward independent or Democratic candidates due to dissatisfaction with the Trump agenda. U.S. Representative Greg Stanton recently rallied Democratic volunteers to canvass in Phoenix. Meanwhile, Pima County Republican Party Chair Kathleen Winn is working to boost turnout to prevent a Democratic wave from taking control of the state's congressional delegation. Other key issues driving the race include gas prices, the war in Iran, and the placement of data centers.
