SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Its a district filled with luxury homes and one of the world's tallest fountains.
Congressional District 1 is made up of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley areas. It's said to be one of the most competitive districts in the state because a third of voters are registered as Independent.
Incumbent Republican Representative David Schweikert currently holds the seat. Schweikert, a small business owner has been in U.S. Congress for more than a decade and started his political career serving in the Arizona legislature more than 30 years ago. In 2022, Schweikert narrowly won re-election.
“It's a competitive district," Schweikert told 12News.
He will face Democrat Dr. Amish Shah in the upcoming November Election. Shah was elected as a state representative in 2017 and spent 20 years an an emergency room physician in the heart of the district when he decided to run for Congress.
“I was able to work really successfully with the Republicans for years and I think that level of lawmaking needs to happen in Washington D.C.,” Shah said.
Both candidates' experiences in their fields of work has informed their positions on the issues. Both called the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a crisis. Shah said the asylum system is broken and said the amount of fentanyl coming into Arizona and beyond needs to be stopped.
"As an emergency physician, I have seen the unfortunate effects up close and personal," Shah said. "I have had to deliver bad news to families because of fentanyl."
Schweikert took an economic perspective on the matter. He said with so many migrants coming into the country, American jobs are being taken away.
"The border policy promoted by the left has actually made the working poor in the country poorer,” Schweikert said.
The incumbent said one of his top priorities is the economy. Schweikert sits on the House Ways and Means Committee said from the people he's spoken with in the district, inflation and trying to survive financially is a struggle. Schweikert also said Congress is currently spending more money than it is taking in with taxes.
His concern is the impact this will have on Social Security.
"We made promises, and we need the politicians to start pulling out calculators and understanding how crucial it is to get this math right," Schweikert said.
Shah believes there is no simple solution, but said he would work to lower costs for goods and cut red tape to address housing. However, the doctor's top issue he wants to address if elected is healthcare by lowering costs for everyone.
"I hear this again and again, patients while I'm working in the hospital, as well as voters, talking about the hassles of getting care, the expense,“ he said.
When both were asked about abortion access, Shad said he is pro-choice and believes the government shouldn't play a role in these types of medical decisions. Schweikert said for the district he currently serves, it's not a concern.
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