PHOENIX (Diya TV) — Amish Shah, an emergency physician and former Arizona state representative, has won the Democratic primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Shah will face Republican nominee Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker endorsed by President Donald Trump, in the November general election.
Shah’s win came in a closely watched, four-way Democratic primary that also included Marlene Galán-Woods, a former television news anchor who had been endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and other national and state Democratic figures, including Sen. Mark Kelly, Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. Shah led Galán-Woods by more than 4,500 votes as counting continued into Wednesday, more than 24 hours after polls closed Tuesday.
“I wasn’t exactly my party’s pick,” Shah told supporters Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press. “And I was willing to stand up to that establishment. And that’s what the voters of this district want.”
In a statement released after the race was called, Shah said the primary result reflected grassroots support rather than backing from party leadership. “Our victory in this primary was a grassroots victory where Arizona voters made their voices heard,” the statement said. “Now, it’s my job to earn the support of every voter in this district—including Democrats who voted for another candidate, Independents frustrated with our political system, and Republicans disappointed with the state of the country.”
The statement also criticized the current Congress, saying “corrupt and self-interested politicians in Congress are making life harder for people, not easier” and citing rising costs, the war in Iran and cuts to the nation’s healthcare system. Shah said he would focus on lowering costs for families, improving healthcare and banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
DCCC Chair and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene issued a statement after the race was called describing Feely as an “extremist” and saying Shah “will always put his community first,” according to the Associated Press, but did not directly address the committee’s earlier endorsement of Galán-Woods. The National Republican Congressional Committee released a digital ad Wednesday attacking Shah, labeling him a socialist and linking him to progressives in Congress, the AP reported.
Shah, 47, previously ran for the same seat in 2024, when he won a crowded Democratic primary that also included Galán-Woods before losing narrowly to then-Rep. David Schweikert in the general election. The DCCC did not endorse a candidate in that primary but backed Shah in the general election. Schweikert is not seeking reelection to the House this cycle and instead ran for governor, losing his primary Tuesday.
Since 2019, Shah has represented Central Phoenix, Sunnyslope and South Scottsdale in the Arizona House of Representatives. According to his campaign, he has passed more bills into law than any other Arizona Democrat in the past decade. Outside the Legislature, Shah works as an emergency room physician and founded the Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival.
On the Republican side, Feely won his primary with roughly 49.7% of the vote, defeating former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough, according to NBC News. Trump endorsed Feely in the closing days of the race, calling him a “true America First conservative,” and the National Republican Congressional Committee placed Feely in its “MAGA Majority” program supporting candidates in battleground districts.
Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which covers Scottsdale, north Phoenix and Cave Creek, is considered one of the most competitive House races in the country and is expected to draw significant national attention and spending ahead of November. Trump carried the district by about three points in 2024, the same year voters there also backed Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego. Schweikert held the seat for 15 years, most recently defeating Democrat Jevin Hodge by less than a percentage point in 2022.
