Democratic congressional nominee Amish Shah says Arizona’s bruising 1st Congressional District primary left his campaign broke and politically damaged as he prepares to face Republican Jay Feely in November.
During a July 28 virtual meeting with supporters, Shah said, “We got battered and we’re broke,” The Arizona Republic reported. “We are now digging ourselves out of a hole, because the primary was very damaging.” He said the campaign would scale back his signature door-knocking strategy as it shifts toward the general election.
Shah defeated former television journalist Marlene Galán-Woods despite the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spending more than $500,000 to support her. The committee reversed course after the primary and added Shah to its Red to Blue program, promising fundraising, staffing and strategic support in the competitive northeast Valley district.
Republicans are trying to define Shah before he rebuilds. The National Republican Congressional Committee has contrasted Feely’s tax-cut message with Shah’s support for universal health care and opposition to Trump-era tax cuts. Citing Tax Foundation modeling, the committee claims Shah’s position would increase annual taxes by more than $4,000 for Valley taxpayers. Shah has said the cuts favor the wealthy and described a public option as a route toward universal coverage.
Feely, a former Arizona Cardinals kicker endorsed by President Donald Trump, is courting the district’s large bloc of unaffiliated voters. KTAR reported Republicans hold a 58,681-voter registration edge, while nearly 180,000 voters are registered outside the two major parties.
The open seat includes Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and parts of north Phoenix. The Associated Press described the contest as potentially decisive for House control. Shah lost the district to Republican Rep. David Schweikert by about four points in 2024, making his campaign’s recovery a central early test.
