Welcome to the 12th episode of Prickly, a podcast from KJZZ’s Politics Desk. Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Prickly newsletter.
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert is out of the picture in Congressional District 1. But it's unclear who will step into the picture and run for the GOP nomination in what could be one of the most competitive congressional races in 2026.
Schweikert was long rumored to be considering a run for Arizona governor instead of running for reelection to Congress.
But as KJZZ's Wayne Schutsky and Camryn Sanchez detail, the politics of winning a potentially crowded Republican primary in this Valley district — before then facing a likely battle-tested Democrat in November — may have some Republicans second-guessing whether it's worth it to throw their hat in.
Depending on who does join the GOP primary, the race in CD1 could also have a trickle-down effect on the ballot. If certain state lawmakers rumored to be interested in running take the plunge, it could make it more difficult for Republicans to defend their majorities in both the state House of Representatives and state Senate.
