Incumbent Schweikert Fends Off Shah for AZ CD1 Seat

After an intensely partisan battle between incumbent David Schweikert (R-CD1) and challenger Amish Shah (D), a former Arizona House representative, Schweikert looks to emerge victorious. The current vote count stands at 51.94% to 48.06%, or 222,366 to 205,717, with 97.85% of the ballots counted. The race was costly, with more than $15M in expenditures between the campaigns and PACs. The Arizona chapter of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), under the leadership of Ben Petersen, worked diligently behind the scenes to support Schweikert and the Republican Party.

Democrats saw this seat as vulnerable, with Schweikert under fire due to his staunch anti-spending rhetoric. Even some in his own party expressed concern that his budget positions could cause issues for his re-election. Democrats seized on his believed vulnerability, with Shah outspending the Republican candidate by 25% and outside sources outstripping Schweikert’s support by well over $1M. 

Shah, a Chicago, IL-born emergency room surgeon and former state representative representing Arizona’s House District 5 ( Gilbert, Queen Creek, Southern and Eastern Chandler, and Eastern Mesa), was seen by some as a moderate. He had a reputation as something of a party rebel, voting with Republicans as often as the Democrats in the House, a record that Democrats thought would appeal to the right-leaning CD1 district. Schweikert’s win is significantly more resounding than his 2022 victory, where he only beat Democrat Jevin Hodge by just over 3000 votes. Schweikert vows to continue his fight for fiscal responsibility, this time with the support of a Republican Senate and President.