Amish Shah vows to ‘fight like hell’ for Arizona water, seeks end to ‘political toxicity’ after flipping CD1

After flipping Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, Democrat Amish Shah said he feels honored and humbled that voters put their trust in him.

“I will try my best to keep that trust sacred,” Shah told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday in his first media interview since declaring victory Wednesday.

The Associated Press called the race for Shah over Republican Jay Feely on Thursday. He will succeed eight-term Republican David Schweikert, who left the seat to make an unsuccessful run for governor.

Shah, an emergency room physician and former state lawmaker, said voters’ concerns about affordability and Arizona’s water supply will help guide his work in Congress.

“There are clear messages that the American people sent. Cost of living, of course,” Shah said. “Healthcare … access and affordability, and, of course, right here in Arizona, the water crisis is really on top of people’s minds.”

Amish Shah says protecting Arizona’s water supply is a top priority

Shah said securing Arizona’s water supply is one of his top priorities.

“I will fight like hell for every drop from that Colorado River, and then we have to conserve and then we have to think outside the box,” Shah said. “We live in a desert, and we know that our economy and our livelihood depends on it.”

Shah emphasized keeping an open mind about potential solutions and discussing those possibilities with colleagues across party lines.

“Yesterday, I was talking to my Republican colleagues from the Legislature who called me,” Shah said. “We’re talking about out-of-the-box solutions for our water crisis, such as desalination, and it’s really nice that people are still focused on real solutions that will make our problems better 10 years from now, and I like that kind of thinking.”

Amish Shah emphasizes bipartisan cooperation

Shah said his experience working with Republicans in the state Legislature will shape his approach to Congress.

“Political toxicity has to stop, and this division is hurting our country. I believe that, and by working together, we accomplished a lot. I had more bills signed into law than any Democrat in a decade, all in a Republican Legislature,” Shah said. “Let’s get to work in Congress and make the people feel like their system of government is working for them.”

That willingness to find common ground extends to Schweikert. Despite their party differences, Shah said they share an interest in addressing the national debt and deficit, a longtime priority for the outgoing congressman.

“I did have a conversation with him yesterday, and he was very gracious, and I hope to have a meeting with him later today,” Shah said. “One of the things he constantly talked about was the debt and the deficit.”

A closely watched race for Arizona’s CD1

As of Thursday morning, Shah led Republican Jay Feely 52.5% to 45.4%, a margin of 22,494 votes.

In his statement declaring victory Wednesday night, Shah commended Feely on a hard-fought race.

Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills and parts of Phoenix, was among Democrats’ top targets this year. Trump carried it by 3 percentage points in 2024, when Shah lost to Schweikert in his first bid for the seat.

This year, Shah won the Democratic primary over Marlene Galán-Woods and two other candidates. The Democrats’ House campaign arm, which had endorsed Galán-Woods in the primary, later backed Shah in the general election.

“People called this the jock vs. doc election,” Amish Shah says

Feely, a former NFL kicker and broadcaster, entered the race with Trump’s endorsement.

The campaign featured sharp attacks from both candidates. Feely portrayed Shah as a socialist aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Shah characterized Feely as a Trump loyalist.

Outside groups spent more than $25 million after the primary, far exceeding either campaign’s cash on hand. About $16 million supported Feely, largely through ads attacking Shah, while about $9 million supported Shah.

However, Shah and Feely had history since their time with the New York Jets overlapped. Shah was an emergency doctor for New York when Feely was there from 2008-09, before the kicker’s stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2010-13.

“He’s a sportsman, and I want to have coffee with him soon,” Shah said. “It was the story of the cycle. People called this the jock vs. doc election.”

Tap or click here to see results from all the races in Arizona.

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