Another Democrat hopes to challenge Republican Congressman David Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
Magazine publisher Rick McCartney announced Monday that he’s joining the increasingly crowded Democratic primary in CD1, which encompasses Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Cave Creek.
Former lawmaker Amish Shah is also running. In 2024, Shah ran against five other Democrats in that primary and won, but lost to Schwikert in November.
Another notable Democratic candidate is Marlene Galán-Woods, who also ran in 2024.
McCartney, Shah and Galán-Woods all have something in common with many other Democratic candidates — they’re campaigning against President Donald Trump and the Republicans who are supporting him.
McCartney said in a statement that Trump is attacking vulnerable communities and important services, and he accused Republicans like Schweikert of standing idly by.
“This fight is personal for me,” McCartney said in a statement. “As gay men, my husband and I are directly in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s attacks on vulnerable communities. I’ve spent my life standing up for people whose voices are too often ignored — and I’m not stopping now. Whether it’s protecting Social Security, expanding access to health care, or making sure every kid has a shot to succeed, I’ll never back down.”
McCartney is the president and CEO of InMedia Company and the publisher of Greater Phoenix In Business Magazine.
McCartney is a current and former member of several boards including One-n-Ten, a nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth.
Schweikert is running for his 9th term in office. The closest a Democrat has come to beating him is Jevin Hoge in 2022. Schweikert won by only a fraction of a percent of a point that year.
Shah got the next closest to winning in 2024, but Schweikert won that race with 51.9% of the vote.
