Six Democrats seeking chance to wrest Schweikert's seat from the GOP
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Image from the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
Six Democrats are vying for the chance to challenge a longtime Republican incumbent and flip what might be Arizona's most competitive congressional district from red to blue.
The big picture: Democrats view Arizona's 1st Congressional District, based in Scottsdale and northeast Phoenix, as a top pickup opportunity.
- The district is represented by Republican Rep. David Schweikert.
- Schweikert has served in the House since 2010, winning re-election two years ago by about 3,200 votes.
These are the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in CD1:
Andrei Cherny is former assistant Arizona attorney general and state Democratic Party chair, and he previously served as CEO of Aspiration, a sustainability-focused financial services company. He served in the Clinton administration, becoming the youngest speechwriter in White House history at age 21.
Marlene Galán-Woods is a former broadcast journalist and an ex-Republican who switched parties after Donald Trump's 2016 election. She's also the widow of former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods.
Andrew Horne is an orthodontist and native Arizonan who had a practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before moving home in 2020. He's not related to Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.
Kurt Kroemer is the former CEO of the American Red Cross's Arizona-New Mexico region. He previously served as COO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and Humanity United, and was a city council member in Bowie, Maryland.
Conor O'Callaghan is the managing director of the financial services firm BTIG. O'Callaghan, a first-time candidate, grew up in Scottsdale after moving to the U.S. from Ireland at the age of 4.
Amish Shah is a career emergency room physician and sports medicine doctor who was elected to three terms representing central Phoenix in the Arizona House of Representatives, where he was known for working across the aisle with Republicans.
Between the lines: As of the end of June, Cherny led the fundraising race among Democrats with nearly $2.5 million, followed by O'Callaghan with about $2.1 million.
- Galán-Woods and Shah had both raised around $1.5 million, Horne raised over $900,000 and Kroemer had raised nearly $300,000.
- Schweikert has raised $2.7 million. He faces two challengers in the Republican primary.