Former state Rep. Amish Shah is once again in the spotlight after he overcame national Democratic opposition to win his party's primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District.
Shah, an emergency room doctor, weathered millions of dollars of attack ads to defeat a rival candidate who was backed by the Democratic establishment.
The race's outcome teed up a strategic reckoning and an awkward pivot for national party leaders who had worked to prevent Shah from winning the nomination. The party is expected to rally around him even after an anti-Shah media campaign blared warnings that he "can't be trusted."
Shah won the same district's nomination in 2024. He lost to the incumbent Rep. David Schweikert, R-Arizona, as Democrats saw sweeping losses up
and down the ballot.
This time around he'll be up against Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker and sports commentator endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The two men have an unlikely connection: Shah, a physician by trade, was a team doctor for the New York Jets while Feely played for the team.
Here’s what to know about the Phoenix Democrat.
What is Amish Shah’s political background?
Shah served five years in the Arizona House of Representatives.
He was first elected in 2018 to represent Arizona's 24th Legislative District. After the 2020 redistricting cycle, he represented the newly formed Legislative District 5, which runs from near downtown Phoenix north to the Phoenix Mountains.
Shah was more successful than many of his Democratic colleagues at getting bills passed in the Republican-controlled state Legislature. He was known for diligent door-knocking and one-on-one conversations with constituents.
His pragmatic approach sometimes put him at odds with fellow partisans: He drew comparisons to the outgoing U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, whose name became a dirty word in Democratic circles after she frustrated several of the party’s legislative goals in Congress and switched her affiliation from Democrat to independent.
Shah stepped down from his seat in 2024 to run for Congress.
He won a six-way Democratic primary that year, but ultimately lost to Schweikert by a 52%-48% margin.
What is Amish Shah running on?
Shah has presented himself to voters as an anti-Trump Democrat and a pragmatist who is willing to buck his party.
In 2024, he emphasized his bipartisan style in the Legislature. When immigration became top of mind for voters, he billed himself as someone willing to break from his party on the issue, pledging to "secure our border.” He also emphasized abortion rights, an issue that was expected to drive Democratic turnout amid GOP-led restrictions on the procedure.
During that race Shah said he would vote against renewing the Trump-era tax cuts in whole or part, and would support raising taxes on individuals who make more than $500,000. He supported federal action to lower the cost of health care coverage and pharmaceuticals, universal pre-kindergarten and federal incentives to build affordable housing in Arizona.
Shah has named health care as a top issue. He has said that “as a physician” he was enthusiastic about independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' focus on the topic during his presidential bids. Shah once called for single-payer health care, but he said more recently that he would be open to a single- or multi-payer model.
Who is Amish Shah's opponent, Jay Feely?
Feely, the Republican nominee, is a former Arizona Cardinals kicker and a longtime sports commentator.
Launching his campaign in 2025, he laid out a political identity and vision best defined by his enthusiastic support of Trump.
He defeated two other candidates for the GOP nomination, fending off challenges from a self-funded businessman and a hard-right lawmaker. He distinguished himself by having the president's endorsement and taking a supportive stance towards artificial intelligence and data centers.
He has described himself as fiscally conservative, socially conservative and “pro-business.” He's stuck with the president on policy, arguing Trump deserves credit for attempting to radically restructure the country’s trade relationships through sweeping tariffs, which roiled financial markets and raised fears of an economic slowdown.
Democrats began targeting Feely soon after he won the nomination, calling him an extremist and saying he is at Trump's "beck and call" at a time when the president's approval ratings are underwater.
Where is Arizona’s 1st Congressional District?
Arizona's 1st Congressional District covers most of northeastern Maricopa County.
It includes parts of north Phoenix plus Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills in Maricopa County, along with Salt River and Fort McDowell Yavapai National tribal reservations.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is Amish Shah? What to know about AZ Democratic Congress hopeful
