Former state legislator and emergency-room doctor Amish Shah has won the Democratic nomination in Arizona's 1st Congressional District for the second consecutive election cycle, according to a race call by the Associated Press Wednesday evening.
He’ll face former NFL placekicker Jay Feely, a Trump endorsee and political newcomer who handily won the GOP nomination, in November.
Shah again bested Marlene Galán-Woods, overcoming a wave of support for the third-place finisher in 2024’s Democratic primary from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and prominent Arizonan Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes.
A former broadcaster and one-time Republican, Galán-Woods pitched herself as the candidate most likely to win in November and turn the north Phoenix district from red to blue after Shah’s failed attempt at ousting incumbent Congressman David Schweikert two years ago.
Shah, a prolific doorknocker, said his ability to connect with voters led to the victory.
“It's no secret, people have experienced those door knocks time and time again and then come out and told their friends, and that, to me, is the core of what we do,” Shah said. “Center the voter and make sure that they know how much we care.”
By again winning the Democratic primary, Shah must now work to unite the party behind the hope of winning what’s now an open seat in CD1 — Schweikert unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in Arizona, rather than mount an increasingly difficult reelection campaign.
Shah acknowledged that he won’t be able to knock on every door in the district in the three months leading up to the general election.
“But I think with regard to how we approach the voters and how we talk to people and say, ‘this is who we are' — we're going to maintain that level of listening. That will never change,” he said.
CD1 is considered one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country, and Shah’s next three months campaigning could prove indispensable as Democrats seek to take control of the U.S. House during this year’s midterm elections.
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Find everything you need to know about elections in Arizona and Maricopa County from KJZZ's politics team. -
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