PHOENIX — Republican David Schweikert has won an eighth term in an affluent congressional district in the Phoenix area by fending off a challenge from a Democratic former state lawmaker.
Schweikert defeated Amish Shah, an emergency room doctor, Sunday in Arizona's 1st Congressional District that includes north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley.
While Republicans hold a voter registration advantage in the district, it started to trend toward the center after Donald Trump's 2016 victory as some voters who historically backed Republicans reluctantly voted for Democrats or left their ballots blank.
Redistricting ahead of the 2022 midterms accelerated the trend, fueling hopes among Democrats that Schweikert could be defeated and the district flipped. Schweikert is known for railing against government debt.
''Congressman Schweikert is pleased to have the support from the voters of Arizona's 1st Congressional district,'' said Chris Baker, a spokesperson for Schweikert, in a statement late Sunday. He said voters showed they want a representative committed to the economy, lower taxes and border security.
Shah's campaign did not respond to an emailed request for comment Sunday.
Schweikert has been in close races before. He won reelection in 2022 by just 3,200 votes against a relatively unknown Democrat who received minimal support from national Democrats.
Schweikert's reputation has been tarnished in recent years by ethics scandals. In 2022, he received a $125,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Two years prior, he agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and accept 11 campaign finance violations after an investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics.
