Amish Shah elected to U.S. House, becoming first Indian-American to represent Arizona

Physician Amish Shah, 48, has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Arizona’s First Congressional District, becoming the first Indian-American to represent the state in Congress. Dr. Shah defeated Republican Jay Feely, a former NFL player endorsed by President Donald Trump, in a race that saw the Democrat secure 52.49% of the vote against his rival’s 45.45%. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:39 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Dr. Shah, a three-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives, flipped a previously Republican-held seat. According to Chintan Patel, Executive Director of Indian American Impact, Dr. Shah’s campaign involved knocking on over 28,000 doors to discuss economic concerns and healthcare affordability. As an emergency room physician, Dr. Shah emphasized his commitment to lowering living costs and expanding healthcare coverage. He and Mr. Feely share a professional history, as Dr. Shah previously served as the NFL physician providing care to the New York Jets, the team for which Feely served as kicker.

Dr. Shah is the sixth Indian-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Other notable results in the 2026 midterm elections include the re-election of Suhas Subramanyam in Virginia’s 10th district with 61.5% of the vote, and the victory of Pia Dandiya in Florida, who secured 51.9% of the vote. Conversely, Vivek Ramaswamy was defeated in the race for Ohio’s governorship. The Democratic party saw success in holding ground against institutional obstacles such as gerrymandering, fueled by voter dissatisfaction regarding rising living costs and the Iran war.

What to watch: The legislative agenda of the new Indian-American congressional cohort.

Editor's note: The article accurately captures the key details of the election results and the biographical information provided in the source.