Arizona's Open 1st District Seat Draws a Fiercely Contested Midterm Race
Democrat Amish Shah and Republican Jay Feely are competing for Arizona's open 1st congressional district seat, a race the Guardian reported on October 28, 2026 as fiercely contested. The contest is for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, the chamber of Congress whose members are elected every two years in the midterm elections held midway through a president's term.
The district includes north Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. It is open because Republican congressman David Schweikert opted not to seek a ninth term. The Guardian reports that the district has a median income of $102,000, that 33% of residents hold a bachelor's degree and 22% hold an advanced degree.
Shah is an emergency room doctor who narrowly lost the seat in 2024. Feely is a former NFL kicker who is backed by President Donald Trump.
The district's voting history is mixed. In the 2024 presidential primary, Nikki Haley won nearly 25% of the vote there after Trump had already clinched the Republican nomination. That November, Trump's margin in the district was 3%, compared with 5.5% across Arizona as a whole. The Republican Party holds a voter registration advantage in the district, though voters there tilted to Joe Biden in 2020.
The Cook Political Report, which publishes ratings for House races, describes Arizona's 1st District as one of the most competitive districts in the country.
The race is taking place against a broader national backdrop. A Reuters review published October 7, 2026 found that two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive U.S. House and Senate races had broken with Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's public approval rating at 32% as of October 26, 2026.
Elsewhere in Arizona, Democratic Representative Greg Stanton is seeking a fifth term in the House. He is being challenged by Republican Zuhdi Jasser and by Tisha Benoit, the No Labels Party candidate, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
