Jay Feely, Amish Shah win respective primaries, will face each other for CD-1

Two candidates are now on a collision course in the race for one of the most competitive U.S. House seats in the country. Jay Feely is the projected primary Republican winner in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, while Amish Shah is the projected Democratic primary winner.

The Associated Press called the Democratic race for Shah after the latest batch of votes were released Wednesday evening.

The Democratic race had 95% of the votes counted, and Shah had received 39.8% with Marlene Galan-Woods not far behind at 34.1%.

On Tuesday, the Associated Press called the GOP race for Feely just before 8:20 p.m. By 10:30 p.m., Feely led with 49.36% of the vote with the closest opponent, Joseph Chaplik, having 35.29%.

“I’m excited about what this means for Arizona and for the opportunity to represent the district and to make our argument of why our policies and our beliefs and the things we want to accomplish for this district are best for this district,” Feely told reporters Tuesday night.

When asked by reporters about possibly facing Shah, Feely mentioned their “old relationship” citing when he played for the Jets while Shah was a doctor for them.

Why are the stakes so high in this 2026 primary election?

The race has drawn national attention because longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. David Schweikert is not seeking reelection, instead running for governor against fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who won the GOP gubernational nomination.

Schweikert has represented the Scottsdale-based district, the state’s wealthiest, since 2011. It covers a suburban stretch of northeast Maricopa County that includes Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills and parts of Phoenix.

His departure leaves open a seat that has become increasingly competitive.

GOP nominee chosen in Arizona’s CD-1 race

Feely was the only CD-1 candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, but he began the cycle in a different race.

Feely initially launched a campaign in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, then withdrew after former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is running for that seat, received Trump’s backing. The president suggested Feely run in another district or seek a different office.

Feely then entered the CD-1 race and received Trump’s endorsement, initially alongside Republican Gina Swoboda. She has since dropped out of the congressional race and launched a campaign for secretary of state, which she conceded to state Rep. Alex Kolodin Tuesday night.

Arizona CD-1 Democratic primary winner advances to general election

Although CD-1 has long leaned Republican, four Democrats who ran in the primary saw Schweikert’s decision not to seek reelection as a major opportunity to flip the district blue.

Emergency physician and former state Rep. Amish Shah ran against Schweikert in 2024, losing narrowly. Despite the tight race, he didn’t have as much support from powerful Democrats as former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, who was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.

How the money stacked up

Feely held a commanding fundraising advantage heading into the primary.

His campaign reported roughly $2.5 million in total receipts, including about $1.3 million from individual donors and $330,000 in personal loans to the campaign.

Chaplik reported about $605,000 in total receipts, with roughly $304,000 from individual contributors and $300,000 in candidate loans, according to the Federal Election Commission.

This is an updated version of a story originally published on July 21, 2026.

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