In an utterly unexpected contest, Indian-origin politician Amish Shah is set to face off against a Donald Trump-backed Republican rival in the forthcoming 2026 general elections slated for the fall. Shah, who is also an emergency physician, is essentially moving up the political ladder after securing a high-stakes victory in the Democratic primary for the much-contested 1st congressional district in Arizona.
Shah, who is in his late 40s, defeated Republican-turned-Democrat Marlene Galán-Woods, a candidate heavily favoured by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in Washington, in this week’s primary. His elevation to the next election round (in November) marks a full-circle moment, as he will soon clash with Republican opponent Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker. This might shock those unfamiliar with American football timeline, but this isn’t the first time Shah and Feely will cross paths.
Years before being matched up as opponents on the political scale, the two shared an unlikely NFL connection. While Feely was an NFL player, Shah served his duties as a doctor on the sidelines for the same team — the New York Jets.
“I wasn’t exactly my party’s pick,” Shah told supporters the night before the Democratic primary results. “And I was willing to stand up to that establishment. And that’s what the voters of this district want.”
After his landmark victory on Wednesday, he said: “Our victory in this primary was a grassroots victory where Arizona voters made their voices heard. Now, it’s my job to earn the support of every voter in this district.”
What do we know about Amish Shah?
Although born in Chicago, Illinois, Amish Shah’s family roots trace back to Gujarat in Indian, which is where his parents lived before immigrating to the US in 1969.
The Arizona State Legislature website further states that the politician’s parents were engineering students. While his father follows the Jainism faith, his mother is Hindu.
“I am thankful for my Jain heritage and follow the principles of non-violence, non-materialism and non-absolutism with pride,” he told the Times of India in an interview in 2023, the year he announced he was running for Congress in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. “I feel that the philosophy which I have been taught early at Jain temples and conferences is something that I have been able to bring to my politics too.”
As for his own higher education, Shah attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He also graduated from Northwestern University Medical School as part of the Honors Program in Medical Education.
Having attended attended Northwestern University Medical
School in Chicago, he also served as a faculty member at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine for several years in Manhattan, where he taught residents and medical students.
Shah won three consecutive elections for the Arizona State House of Representatives in 2018, 2020, and 2022. The Indian-American doctor focused on increasing teacher pay, supporting small businesses and improving public health and safety during his five years at the State Legislature.
As an emergency room physician running for US Congress in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, Shah is committed to lowering healthcare costs and standing up to Big Pharma to end the “price gouging” of crucial medications like insulin, according to his website. If elected, he intends to work towards lowering costs for hardworking Arizonans, protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, fighting for abortion rights, and keeping families safe.
Amish Shah’s unexpected NFL connection
Board certified in emergency room and sports medicine, the 48-year-old doctor even worked at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix at one point.
An exciting lore from his life’s story reveals that he worked as a team physician for the New York Jets in the NFL while also working with the American football league on a research project to improve emergency care for players during games, according to The Arizona Republic. Fate ultimately led him to Arizona as he pursued a sports medicine program at the University of Arizona.
In a legendary twist, Shah’s present-day political rival Jay Feely was a kicker for the NY Jets for two seasons (2008-09) at the same time when the Indian-origin doctor served as an airway management physician for the team, ESPN reported.
Reacting to what their old ties mean in the present, Feely said on Tuesday, “It’s an old relationship.” Since speaking ahead of Shah’s Wednesday win, he added, “But whoever it is, I want to do this the right way. I want to run this the right way.”
Feely, who is also a former analyst for CBS News, initially contested in Arizona’s 5th District. At the time, President Trump endorsed one of his primary opponents and urged him to run in a different district. Eventually, the MAGA leader expressed support for both Feely and Gina Swoboda in the 1st District primary. As the latter dropped out of the race for an Arizona secretary of state bid, Trump again formally endorsed the NFL veteran in the 1st District.