Democratic Rep. Amish Shah resigns from Arizona House to focus on congressional run
Jan 31, 2024, 6:00 PM | Updated: Feb 2, 2024, 3:01 pm
Dr. Amish Shah, a Democrat, has been a member of the Arizona State House of Representatives since 2019. (Arizona State Legislature Photo/KTAR News Photo)
(Arizona State Legislature Photo/KTAR News Photo)
PHOENIX — Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah announced on the House floor Wednesday that he will step down from his role to focus on his run for Congress this year.
“I will be resigning from the Arizona House of Representatives tomorrow, Feb. 1,” Shah said.
The District 5 Democrat started his tenure in the House in 2019.
“This has been a super educational experience for me. I went from an ordinary citizen to now a man running for Congress,” Shah said.
In addition to representing voters, he also works as a board-certified doctor in Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine in Arizona, according to his website.
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Shah is running for Republican U.S. Rep. David Schweikert’s 1st Congressional District seat.
He faces a crowded Democratic primary field that includes attorney Andrei Cherny, orthodontist Andrew Horne, former nonprofit CEO Kurt Kroemer and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galan-Woods.
What are the top issues Amish Shah is running on?
Shah is running on three main platforms: education, health care and voting rights. His website says he stands against “dark money” and wants fair wages for workers, universal health care and abortion access.
His website also says he wants to increase the amount of revenue that goes into the education system to improve Arizona’s national ranking.
“I think that if we have a little empathy for each other, rather than enmity … we can bring the best out of the people in Arizona,” Shah said in his exit speech. “This is what the great leaders in history have done. Amish out.”
Democrats now have 3 unfilled House seats
Shah’s departure leaves three empty Democratic seats in the House in the midst of the Legislature’s bill season.
District 22 Rep. Leezah Sun stepped down earlier Wednesday before the House had a chance to vote on potentially expelling her following an ethics investigation.
Jennifer Longdon resigned from her District 5 seat last week to pursue a new career opportunity.
A previous Democratic House opening was filled this week when the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Jevin Hodge to fill the District 8 seat vacated by Athena Salman.
Salman stepped down in December to work for a nonprofit organization that promotes reproductive rights.
