Let the Congressional Races Begin: Ansari and Shah Declare Their Candidacies for Congressional Districts One and Three

Let the Congressional races begin.

Over the last two days, Phoenix Councilwoman/ Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and Arizona State Representative Amish Shah have declared their candidacies for Arizona Congressional District (CD) Seats Three and One.

In a press release announcing her candidacy to succeed Ruben Gallego, Ansari, a champion of clean energy sustainability and the youngest woman elected to the Phoenix City Council as well as the first Iranian-American woman voted to serve in any Arizona political office, said:

“The people I currently represent in Arizona’s 3rd district are honest, hardworking, and deserve a level playing field. They understand the damning effect of inaction and they don’t have the luxury of waiting for incremental change. From my time serving as a policy advisor at the United Nations to my current role on the Phoenix City Council, I’ve committed my life to taking on corporate polluters, corrupt special interests, and tired, ineffective policies. And with Republican extremists’ attack on democracy, immigrants, reproductive freedom and working families, the people of Phoenix and Glendale need a fighter who will bring about real change. At this critical juncture, our community deserves someone who understands the urgency of the moment and will get things done. That’s why I’m running for Congress.”

In a statement announcing his run to vanquish current CD One Representative David Schweikert, Shah, who is a physician as well as a two-term State Representative. stated:

“I am running for Congress because I have seen the difference a single person can make within government to improve people’s lives. Serving in Congress is an opportunity to make an even greater positive impact on issues affecting Arizona. Giving back is a core value for me. Because of the sacrifices of my parents, who both came to this country from India to pursue a better life, I was able to become a doctor. work onfield with the NFL, and be the first Indian-American to serve in the Arizona Legislature. We need to try to understand each other and navigate our differences if we hope to tackle vital issues facing our country such as public education, quality affordable health care, climate change, and voting rights. It would be an honor to address these issues on behalf of Arizonans in the U.S. Congress.”

These are the first Democrats to declare their candidacies for the House of Representatives in the 2024 cycle.

More will follow.

The winner to succeed Representative Gallego in the Democratic primary will undoubtedly be the next CD Three Congressperson.

The person nominated to battle Schweikert will feature in one of the most high-profile contested national congressional elections in 2024.