‘Really hypocritical’: Jay Feely hits Amish Shah on data centers but agrees on water policy

Republican Jay Feeley and Democrat Amish Shah disagreed on plenty during Wednesday’s Congressional District 1 debate. But on Arizona’s water, they sounded a lot alike.

Feely, a former NFL kicker and broadcaster endorsed by President Donald Trump, broke with the administration on water.

“I think water is a really interesting issue because it’s an issue that I actually disagree with the administration currently on,” he said.

He argued Arizona shouldn’t absorb most of the Colorado River cuts when it does most of the conserving.

“If cuts need to be made, then the upper basin states and the lower basin states should make those cuts equally,” he said.

Shah, an emergency physician and former state lawmaker, told voters that water would be his top priority.

“Fight like hell for every drop,” he said from the AZ Clean Elections stage.

In August, the federal government ordered Arizona to give up 760,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water per year in 2027 and 2028, the largest cut of any state.

Amish Shah finds more common ground with Jay Feely

Though Feely’s campaign has worked to label Shah a socialist, Shah said he believes in capitalism, crediting it with lifting millions out of poverty in India, where his parents are from.

Shah backed the decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program, saying “going to get the nukes was a good decision,” though he argued the Trump administration bungled the war.

And on healthcare, Shah sided with Feely on one point: “I don’t think illegal immigrants should be on Medicaid.”

Jay Feely calls Amish Shah a hypocrite over data center voting record

Shah said voters have told him they don’t want data centers in the district, citing noise, traffic, water and electricity.

“AI is coming at us quick, and we are going to need data centers,” he said. “I just don’t want them in CD 1.”

Feeley called that “really hypocritical,” noting Shah supported state tax breaks for data centers as a legislator. He said the industry adds $27 billion to Arizona’s GDP and supports high-paying jobs. An industry-funded study put the figure at more than $25 billion in 2023.

Shah said the situation has changed since that vote.

“At that time, when we had those tax credits come up, AI wasn’t on the radar,” he said.

The election is Nov. 3.

Watch the full debate on the KTAR News 92.3 FM YouTube page.

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