Tight race between Amish Shah and Republicans in Arizona election race
ARIZONA:- Democrat Amish Shah is facing a tight contest in the Arizona congressional race against Republican Jay Feely—a former NFL kicker and a long-time friend of President Donald Trump.
Trump and his allies are making a final push to secure a victory for Feely.
Trump, who has known the former Arizona Cardinals kicker for decades, considers him a strong candidate. Republican groups have spent over $22 million in support of Feely, with a significant portion of that expenditure occurring in the final weeks of the campaign.
Shah, an emergency room physician and former Arizona legislator, lost to Republican David Schweikert in the district by 3.8 percentage points in 2024. The district includes Scottsdale, parts of northeast Phoenix, Fountain Hills, and Cave Creek.
Philly, a long-time resident of Gilbert, switched from the 5th Congressional District race to the 1st District at the urging of Trump.
Despite a Republican registration advantage in the district, the Cook Political Report classifies the race as “Lean Democratic,” while Inside Elections considers it “Tilt Democratic.” Republicans make up 38 percent of registered voters, while 35 percent are registered as independents or with other parties, and more than 26 percent are Democrats.
“If independents show up in large numbers, it favors Shah. If they don’t, it favors Filley,” pollster Marcus Dell’Artino told the Arizona Capitol Times.
Federal filings show significant outside spending on both sides. The ‘Security and Affordability PAC’—funded by MAGA Inc.—has spent $5.72 million opposing Shah, while the ‘House Majority PAC’ has spent $4.41 million opposing Filley.
