GOP Rep Schweikert projected to fend off Dem challenger in key Arizona House race

Republican Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., has withstood a strong Democratic challenge for a seat Democrats had hoped to flip in one of the most closely watched states in the country, the Associated Press projects.

Arizona’s 1st Congressional District was expected to be a close race after Rep. David Schweikert narrowly won re-election in 2022 by less than 1%. He had secured the Republican nomination earlier this year after outraising his opponents.

Schweikert has served in the House for nearly 15 years and has won re-election in a number of redrawn districts since being elected in 2010. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and has emphasized economic policy and fiscal responsibility, including tackling the increasing national debt.

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Shah, a doctor and former state rep, had emerged from a packed Democratic field to secure the nomination to attempt to beat Schweikert. Arizona Central reports that Shah had success with bills getting passed in the GOP-dominated state legislature, and has been compared to outgoing Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

He emphasized border security in the border state, as well as issues like tackling inflation and abortion rights.

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“Shah, who has already represented key parts of Arizona’s First Congressional District in Maricopa County as a State Representative, has a track record of being an independent voice working across party lines to put Arizona families first,” his website says. “In Congress, he’ll work to lower costs for hardworking Arizonans and protect abortion rights.”

Arizona is a closely watched state this election cycle, with multiple races in the House and Senate as well as the presidential contest all potentially to be decided by thin margins.

In the state legislature, Republicans hold a thin majority and Democrats are hoping to take both chambers. If so, it would be the first time they took the House since 1966.