Ethermac|Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district

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PHOENIX (AP) — 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, in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which 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. He is known for railing against government debt.

Schweikert won reelection by just 3,200 votes in 2022 against a relatively unknown Democrat who received minimal support from national Democrats. The race for the seat in 2024 again was tight.

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.

Shah, who had emerged as the primary winner among a field of six Democrats, had campaigned on reducing the prices for housing and health care.