(The Center Square) – With most of the ballots counted, Arizona still can’t say who will represent the state’s 1st Congressional District next year.
The race saw more than $15 million spent trying to sway the swing district between incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert and his Democratic challenger Amish Shah.
The 1st Congressional District represents the northeastern Valley cities of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley and northeastern portions of Phoenix.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Schweikert led Shah by 4,990 votes out of nearly 300,000 votes cast in the race. Maricopa County lists 97% of districts reporting.
According to Open Secrets, the candidates’ spending was dwarfed by outside organizations looking to take advantage of the competitive district. As of mid-October, Shah had spent $4.6 million, and Schweikert’s campaign went through $3.4 million. Outside organizations gave Schweikert some help, spending just over $940,000 on ads boosting him and nearly $9 million attacking Shah. The Democrat saw large campaign spending in his corner. Groups spent $3.5 million boosting his profile and $10.7 million attacking the vulnerable incumbent Republican.
A congressman since 2011, Schweikert made a name for himself as a fiscal hawk. He would often share fire and brimstone speeches about the country’s ballooning national debt, channeling Ross Perot with his abundant graphics to support his argument for fiscal conservatism at the federal level. After redistricting turned his reliably Republican-voting district into one Democrats saw as an opportunity to take, Schweikert eked out a 2022 electoral victory over Democrat Jevin Hodge by fewer than 3,200 votes.
Shah is an emergency physician and former state representative who garnered a reputation for moderate stances and voting with Republicans where most Democrats would toe the party line.
