PHOENIX (AP) — Emergency physician Amish Shah claimed victory Wednesday in a fiercely competitive Democratic congressional primary in Arizona, dealing yet another setback to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which had thrown its support behind a different candidate. The result reflects a growing trend of voters pushing back against the preferences of party leadership in Washington.
Shah will now go head-to-head in the fall against Republican Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker who earned an endorsement from President Donald Trump during his own primary race. The two candidates share an unexpected connection — both were once part of the New York Jets organization. Shah served as a sideline physician, while Feely played as the team’s kicker.
The DCCC had chosen to back Marlene Galán-Woods, a former Republican who changed her party affiliation at the start of Trump’s first term in office.
Arizona’s 1st Congressional District — a well-to-do area covering northeast Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Paradise Valley — is considered a key race in the battle for control of the U.S. House. Republicans hold a registration edge in the district, but it has been trending more toward the center over the past decade.
The seat became available after Republican Rep. David Schweikert chose to run for governor, only to lose that primary to Rep. Andy Biggs on Tuesday.
The DCCC’s endorsement of Galán-Woods, a former Phoenix television journalist, left many local Democrats scratching their heads. There was little ideological distance between her and Shah — both are considered moderates, and the contest was not part of the broader tension between the party’s progressive and centrist wings.
In many ways, this race echoed the 2024 primary, when Shah narrowly edged out a crowded field that included Galán-Woods, then went on to lose in the general election. That year, the DCCC stayed out of the primary but eventually rallied behind Shah for the general race.
When the DCCC announced its endorsement of Galán-Woods back in May, committee chair and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene highlighted her background in broadcast journalism without mentioning Shah at all.
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Shah acknowledged the uphill battle he faced within his own party. “I wasn’t exactly my party’s pick,” he said. “And I was willing to stand up to that establishment. And that’s what the voters of this district want.”
Despite that friction, Shah has indicated he’s open to working alongside the DCCC now that he’s secured the nomination. He’ll need the party’s financial backing and organizational support to compete in a district that Trump carried by a slim margin in 2024. Former President Joe Biden won the same district in 2020, even as Schweikert held onto his seat.
The anti-establishment wave rattling congressional races has put party leaders on edge. They worry that some insurgent candidates may come across as too extreme to swing voters, potentially wasting an opportunity to capitalize on Trump’s low approval ratings.
Similar upsets have occurred recently elsewhere in the country. Last month, progressive Randy Villegas toppled a DCCC-supported candidate in a key California Central Valley district. In Maine, Matt Dunlap also knocked off a more moderate, party-backed opponent.
While DCCC support typically brings significant money, staff resources, and donor attention, it has increasingly become a liability with some voters.
“The Democratic Party needs to grow up and wake up,” said Maria Liong, a 24-year-old medical student who volunteered on Shah’s campaign. “They need to realize that they want candidates who listen to their people.”
On the Republican side, Feely defeated Joseph Chaplik, a former state lawmaker with strong support among grassroots activists, to secure the GOP nomination. Feely had a 14-season NFL career with seven different teams, including a stint with the Arizona Cardinals from 2010 to 2013. After retiring from the league in 2014, he transitioned into NFL broadcasting.
According to Shah’s campaign, the two future opponents overlapped during the 2008 and 2009 seasons with the Jets, when Shah worked home games as an airway management physician — a specialist responsible for being ready to intubate and revive a player who suffers a catastrophic injury on the field.
Before Tuesday’s results were finalized, Feely spoke about the connection. “It’s an old relationship,” he said of Shah. “But whoever it is, I want to do this the right way. I want to run this the right way.”
