Forty-seven-year-old Dr. Amish Shah, an Indian American physician and former state representative, secured the Democratic party’s nomination in a crowded primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
Dr. Shah won the nomination by defeating his rival, Andrei Cherny, with a lead of 23.9 percent to 21.4 percent, a difference of 1,629 votes. Other Democratic contenders in the primary race included Marlene Galan-Woods, Andrew Horne, Kurt Kroemer, and Conor O’Callaghan.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support. We have always run a campaign that is grassroots, positive, and substantive. We engage voters directly to build a community, and we look forward to making a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve,” tweeted Dr. Shah.
Acknowledging the strong campaign efforts by his Democratic opponents Andrei Cherny, Marlene Galan-Woods, Conor O’Callaghan, Andrew Horne, and Kurt Kroemer, Dr. Shah noted “all of whom recently contacted me to offer their support. It’s a sacrifice to run for office, and they ran passionate campaigns. We all look forward to victory in November.”
He will now face off against Republican incumbent David Schweikert in the upcoming November election.
“Growing up in Chicago, I had a pretty rough childhood. I was bullied, and there were times I would go to my room and pray that God would just take my life, because there seemed to be no safe place for me,” Dr. Shah wrote in his campaign website.
He pointed out that around 6th grade, something unexpected occurred. According to him, two teachers, Mrs. Weber and Ms. Meres, took special interest in him – not just as a capable student, but as a nice person. They recognized that he needed support and offered him “kindness, generosity and encouragement.”
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Shah received a BA in Economics from Northwestern University in 1997, and an MD from the same institution in 2001. He later earned a degree in MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2003.
