Primary candidates advanced to the general election on Tuesday night across Arizona, including in three House districts that could shape the path to the majority in November’s midterm elections.Republicans are defending two swing seats in Arizona, including the open 1st Congressional District, which is open after incumbent Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) ran for governor.Arizona’s 2nd District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Eli Crane, is a greater reach for Democrats but is targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as Republicans stare down a potentially difficult midterm cycle.
1st Congressional District: Jay Feely vs. Amish Shah
Republican Jay Feely and Democrat Amish Shah are both vying for this Scottsdale-based district after Schweikert bowed out of the race.Schweikert opted to leave the House after two terms to participate instead in the GOP’s gubernatorial primary in Arizona but lost soundly to Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) on Tuesday night.That left the race open for Feely, a former NFL kicker and broadcaster for CBS. The Trump-endorsed athlete fended off a primary challenge from former Arizona state Rep. Joseph Chaplik. Feely will proceed to the general election with 49.8% of his party’s primary vote.Democrats also held a competitive primary for the district. Shah, a former state representative who narrowly lost to Schweikert in 2024, once again aimed to appear on the November ballot. Shah defeated Marlene Galan-Woods, an establishment-backed former broadcast journalist, by roughly 6 percentage points. The DCCC spent roughly $500,000 on joint ads with Galan-Woods, according to nonpartisan firm AdImpact, while other outside groups spent nearly $3 million supporting her.President Donald Trump won the district by about 3 points in 2024.2nd Congressional District: Eli Crane vs. Jonathan Nez
