Arizona CD1 goes blue as Amish Shah defeats Jay Feely

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Democrats are riding the blue wave in Arizona and have flipped a toss-up Congressional seat blue.

The Associated Press on Thursday called Arizona’s 1st Congressional District for Democrat Amish Shah, capturing a Scottsdale-area seat that has been a top Democratic target for several election cycles.

Shah defeated Republican nominee Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker, for the House seat left open by U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, who ran for governor rather than reelection.

Declaring victory Wednesday night before the race was officially called, Shah said in a statement that he would “work in a bipartisan way in Congress” and represent the district “whether or not you voted for me.”

“Let’s end the political toxicity and work on lowering costs, expanding health care coverage, solving our water crisis, and growing our economy,” he wrote.

See Shah’s full statement below:

“I’m honored and humbled that the people of Arizona’s First Congressional District have chosen me to represent them in Congress. It’s not easy running for public office, and I commend Jay Feely on a hard-fought race.

To every voter in this district — I pledge to be a Representative for all of you, whether or not you voted for me. I pledge to work in a bipartisan way in Congress, just like I did in the State House. I pledge to do what is right, not what is politically expedient. Finally, I pledge to continue to listen to you, whether by knocking on doors or through my congressional office.

Let’s end the political toxicity and work on lowering costs, expanding health care coverage, solving our water crisis, and growing our economy.

To our staff, our volunteers, my friends, and my family: thank you for standing with me every step of the way. Now it’s time to get to work."

An emergency room doctor, Shah served in the Arizona state House and previously ran for the U.S. House seat in 2024, coming close to winning against Rep. Schweikert in that election.

Shah beat Marlene Galán-Woods, a former television journalist, for the Democratic nomination last July, despite national party groups spending millions of dollars opposing him.

Shah campaigned on healthcare reform, lowering prices and improving affordability, while criticizing Feely’s alignment with President Donald Trump.

While both parties sank significant resources into the campaign, and Feely held a fundraising advantage, Feely and other Republicans faced a challenging environment to defend their majority in Congress.

The House seat in Arizona was among dozens of districts across the country that Republicans lost amid voter discontent over the economy and a want for more congressional oversight. The historic night Tuesday saw Democrats win back the House and the Senate, setting up a divided government in Trump’s final years in office.

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