National parties pick their candidates in competitive CD1 race
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
The national Democratic and Republican parties are playing favorites in the contested primaries for Arizona's 1st Congressional District.
Why it matters: The path to the House majority in November likely goes through the highly competitive CD1, which is up for grabs after longtime Republican incumbent David Schweikert decided to run for governor.
The big picture: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) usually stay neutral in contested primaries.
- "It's not an unprecedented move, but it's certainly a very uncommon one," Democratic consultant Adam Kinsey said of DCCC.
State of play: The NRCC in March named former NFL kicker Jay Feely to its new "MAGA Majority" program, which is "focused on supporting and elevating the next wave of America First candidates."
- Last month, the DCCC added Marlene Galán-Woods to its "Red to Blue" program aimed at winning Republican-held districts.
Zoom in: Neither partisan group has spent money in the primary yet, and it's unclear whether they will.
- Even if they don't, the parties are picking who they think are the best candidates for the general election and sending signals to donors and super PACs to support them, Arizona Democratic and Republican operatives tell Axios.
Shortly after DCCC's announcement, Galán-Woods posted a memo on her website urging outside groups to go on the air with specific positive messages about her and lines of attack against opponent Amish Shah.
- A group called Crush MAGA PAC has since sent anti-Shah mailers, though it's not clear which candidate it's attempting to help. The group did not respond to our call.
The intrigue: In supporting Galán-Woods, DCCC snubbed 2024 nominee Amish Shah, who defeated her in the last primary and is again running.
- On the GOP side, NRCC backed Trump-endorsed Feely over former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik, who was a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus and is popular with MAGA Republicans.
- Trump endorsed Feely after publicly urging him to switch races to CD1 from the East Valley's 5th Congressional District, where the president is backing former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in the GOP primary.
What they're saying: DCCC chair Suzan DelBene called Galán-Woods a "common-sense fighter Arizonans deserve to cut through the noise, push back against extremists, and get things done."
- Feely "has the winning message, fundraising firepower and proven work ethic to win big and keep this district Republican in November," NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen said.
The other side: "This election will be decided by Arizona voters, not by establishment insiders in back rooms," Shah said.
What's next: The primary is July 21 and early voting begins June 24, so expect both races to heat up quickly.