Four Democrats set to debate in bid to flip Arizona’s 1st Congressional District

Four Democrats take the debate stage Tuesday night, each making the case that they’re best positioned to flip one of the most competitive U.S. House seats in the country.

Arizona’s 1st Congressional District covers a suburban swath of northeast Maricopa County that includes Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills and parts of Phoenix.

The primary debate, hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, is livestreamed on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s YouTube channel at 6 p.m. The debate will then be broadcast on KTAR News 92.3 FM at 7 p.m.

With early voting starting Wednesday and the July 21 primary less than a month away, the debate carries added urgency in a race that opened up after Rep. David Schweikert left the seat he held for more than a decade to run for governor.

National polling sites call this seat a toss-up.

Who are the Democrats running for CD-1?

The Democratic candidates are emergency physician and former state Rep. Amish Shah, small business founder Jonathan Treble, former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods and community leader Rick McCartney.

Broadly, their campaign websites show philosophical alignment on Democratic priorities such as protecting abortion rights, opposing Trump administration policies and defending Social Security and Medicare.

The candidates diverge in background and their argument for who can win in November.

Shah, who won the 2024 Democratic primary but lost to Schweikert in the general election, enters as the best-known candidate. A February HighGround poll showed him with a 3-to-1 lead over his closest rival, though half the electorate was undecided. He is running on his legislative record and his credentials as a practicing ER doctor pushing for universal health care.

Galán-Woods, backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), argues she is the stronger general-election candidate. She cast Shah’s 2024 loss as evidence the party needs a new standard-bearer. She told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The AZ Political Podcast that her journalism background makes her uniquely suited to expose corruption. She would be the first Latina to represent the district.

Treble, a first-generation college graduate who nearly died from a vascular brain growth, is campaigning on a Medicare for All platform shaped by his fight with insurers over a $2 million surgery.

McCartney, the founder of In Business Magazine who chaired the Maricopa County Workforce Development Board, is positioning himself as an outsider willing to challenge both parties and has called for Trump’s impeachment.

The winner will face one of three Republicans: former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik, Trump-endorsed former Cardinals kicker Jay Feely or John Trobough, who are scheduled to hold their own primary debate Wednesday night.

Who has raised the most?

According to the most recent Federal Election Commission campaign finance data, Treble leads the Democratic field in total receipts at $2.48 million. $1.11 million of that came from the candidate’s own pocket. He also holds the largest war chest, with $1.67 million in cash on hand and no debt.

Galán-Woods has raised $1.57 million in total receipts and leads the field in individual contributions at nearly $1.46 million, including about $279,000 in small-dollar, unitemized donations, according to FEC filings. She reported roughly $826,000 in cash on hand.

Shah, the 2024 nominee, reported $1.29 million in total receipts, including $132,250 from other committees, the most PAC support in the field, along with about $226,000 in candidate loans. He ended the quarter with $707,000 in cash on hand but carries roughly $229,000 in debt.

McCartney trails significantly, reporting $871,000 in total receipts, with $381,000 from individual donors and $365,000 in personal loans to the campaign. He had about $457,000 in cash on hand but owes $365,000.

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