A coalition representing more than 2,100 law enforcement officers across Arizona has thrown its support behind Democrat Amish Shah over Republican Jay Feely in the race for Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a Phoenix-area battleground both parties view as pivotal to controlling the U.S. House. The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Arizona, known as CLEAA, made the call even though Feely has former President Donald Trump's endorsement and Shah is running on the Democratic ticket in a district Republicans have held for years.
Jobe Dickinson, speaking for CLEAA, said the group backed Shah because of his proven track record, his open-door willingness to meet, and his voting record, according to Phoenix New Times. CLEAA, which includes officers from the Maricopa County Probation Officers Association among its ranks, lobbies on behalf of members for better working conditions and improved public safety, and it provides members with legal protection. The group did not endorse Feely, and its four-member board of directors reportedly never even discussed doing so.
An Emergency Room Doctor's Record With Police
Shah, an emergency room doctor and former Arizona state representative, has built a legislative resume that leans heavily on public safety measures. He voted for a Republican-sponsored bill lowering the felony threshold for fentanyl trafficking to nine grams, claiming at the time that amount could translate to roughly 4,500 lethal overdoses. He also supported a 2022 bill doubling the state's protective order period to two years and legislation clarifying the definition of armed robbery.
Jason Winskey, another CLEAA representative, said Shah worked to keep communities safe, support law enforcement officers, and stop the flow of fentanyl. Shah introduced HB2336 in 2023, a bill aimed at making family members of officers who died by suicide after a PTSD diagnosis eligible for Arizona's Fallen Officer Tuition Benefit, which allows eligible beneficiaries to attend community college or university tuition-free. That bill failed in 2023, but CLEAA got it passed through the legislature the following year.
Shah also voted for a 2024 state budget that included more than $200 million for border security, specialized law enforcement operations, drug task forces and local police grants, and he supported a budget payout directed toward the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System along with salary increases for Arizona Department of Public Safety officers. Shah has rejected calls to defund the police. He told supporters he was honored to stand with police officers and would continue working with them to keep communities safe.
Where Shah Broke With Police-Backed Bills
Shah's record is not uniformly aligned with law enforcement priorities. He voted against legislation requiring cities to order the removal of tents from homeless encampments within 24 hours' notice, against a separate bill banning public camping, and against expanding mandatory sentencing for repeat shoplifters. Those votes gave Republicans an opening: during Shah's previous congressional bid, David Schweikert's campaign portrayed him as weak on crime and public safety, and Schweikert went on to defeat Shah with 51.9% of the vote.
The Arizona Police Association, a member organization of CLEAA, endorsed both Shah and Schweikert in that earlier race, and the broader union did not endorse Shah at all in that contest. CLEAA had endorsed multiple Democratic state lawmakers including Shah back in 2022, and the group's willingness to cross party lines fits a pattern: the Arizona Police Association also endorsed Democrat Ruben Gallego over Republican Kari Lake in the 2024 U.S. Senate race, even as it separately endorsed Donald Trump. The association describes itself as the largest and most powerful legislative voice in Arizona.
A Rare Personal History Between The Candidates
The CD-1 contest carries an unusual personal backstory. Feely, a former Arizona Cardinals kicker, and Shah once worked on the same NFL sideline: Feely kicked for the New York Jets while Shah served as an emergency medicine physician for the team, according to The Guardian. Years later, the two are facing off for a seat that opened up after seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert declined to seek reelection and instead launched a gubernatorial campaign, which he lost to Rep. Andy Biggs in the July 21 GOP primary, as detailed by PBS News.
Shah won his own July 21 Democratic primary against former television journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, even though Democrats in Washington, D.C. had supported Galán-Woods in that race. Feely secured the Republican nomination the same day with 49.8% of the vote after Trump's endorsement, which the former president framed around a two-decade personal friendship, and Feely has said he was motivated to run for Congress following the July 2024 attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the subsequent legal cases against him, per The Daily Beast. Feely's GOP primary fight against then-state Rep. Joseph Chaplik grew heated, as Hoodline reported in its earlier coverage of the CD1 primary clash.
A District Built On Split Tickets
Arizona's 1st Congressional District spans nearly 1,600 square miles from central Phoenix and south Scottsdale north toward the Tonto National Forest, encompassing roughly 820,000 people including residents of Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills. Registered Republicans hold a nearly 59,000-voter registration advantage there, yet major political forecasters have rated the November general election a toss-up or lean-Democratic race, according to Ballotpedia.
That competitiveness traces back to the district's habit of splitting tickets. In 2024, CD-1 voters chose Schweikert over Shah by 51.9% to 48.1% and Trump over Kamala Harris by 51.1% to 48.0%, while simultaneously backing Democrat Ruben Gallego over Republican Kari Lake for U.S. Senate. Economic issues are shaping the rematch too: Feely is campaigning on extending Trump-era tax cuts and cutting federal regulations, while Shah has criticized Trump-era tariffs for raising costs on groceries, housing, and pet food, arguing instead for expanded healthcare access, according to KTAR News.
Whether CLEAA's endorsement helps Shah pull moderate and independent voters away from Feely in November, or whether the district's underlying Republican registration edge holds the seat for the GOP, remains an open question heading into the fall campaign. The board's decision also extended to backing incumbent Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in a separate district, underscoring that the union's calculus is less about party than about individual voting records on public safety.
