Amish Shah Triumphs in Packed Democratic Battle for Arizona’s CD1

Former state Rep. Amish Shah emerged victorious in the highly competitive primary for U.S. representative in Arizona’s First Congressional District.

The Associated Press declared Shah the winner on Thursday evening with nearly 24% of the votes, edging out his closest rival, Andrei Cherny, by about three percentage points. Cherny, a former assistant Arizona attorney general and past chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, conceded in a statement on Thursday evening.

“The margin may have been close, but our democracy works because we respect the will of the people,” Cherny said. He expressed gratitude to those who supported and voted for his campaign, highlighting the privilege of the year-and-a-half-long endeavor. Despite his efforts and endorsements from figures such as former President Bill Clinton and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Cherny fell short.

Close behind Cherny was former broadcast journalist and widow of former Attorney General Grant Woods, Marlene Galán-Woods. Galán-Woods received significant backing from prominent Democrats, including Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Despite this strong support, she did not secure the nomination.

Finance professional Conor O’Callaghan finished a few percentage points behind Galán-Woods. Orthodontist Andrew Horne and Kurt Kroemer, former CEO of the American Red Cross in the Arizona/New Mexico region, trailed further behind the leading candidates.

Shah will now face incumbent Republican Congressman David Schweikert, who easily defeated his primary opponents, Kim George and Robert Backie. Schweikert’s campaign received immediate backing from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Thursday evening.

The NRCC labeled Shah “an extreme liberal” and criticized his stance on socialism and border security. They pledged that Schweikert would continue to address issues such as the border crisis, inflation, and taxes. The NRCC’s statement highlighted their confidence that Scottsdale and Phoenix voters would re-elect Schweikert to maintain their security and prosperity, rejecting Shah’s proposed policies.