Arizona's House down 4 Democrats as Amish Shah turns focus to congressional run

Arizona lawmaker Amish Shah gave a "fond farewell" to fellow lawmakers at the Legislature on Wednesday, declaring he would resign from office this week to focus on his run for Congress.

Shah, a Phoenix Democrat in the middle of his third two-year term in the state House, announced in April he would try to take out seven-term veteran incumbent Arizona Rep. David Schweikert in Congressional District 1. The race has since become crowded, with seven other Democrats and five Republicans vying to replace Schweikert.

Shah's resignation wasn't a surprise to many, but leaves the state House of Representatives down four members for the time being.

"I'll forever carry a little bit of your perspectives that you have given to me, and I'll take it forward to wherever I end up later," Shah told his colleagues on the House floor before reminiscing about his favorite times over the past five years.

A Mayo Clinic doctor who used to work as a team physician for the New York Jets, Shah made health-care policy a top priority during his time in the Legislature. He last year was one of the more successful Democrats at getting bills heard or passed with help from his Republican colleagues.

Bills he saw signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs included a measure to speed up the release of prisoner medical records to family members and streamlined licensing requirements for outpatient facilities run by hospitals. His secret, as he explained last year, is a willingness to talk to people and discuss shared values and goals. He hopes to bring that talent to Congress.

Shah has also been a champion for LGBTQ rights. He sponsored a bill with former Republican House Speaker Rusty Bowers in 2022 to extend the state's non-discrimination protections in employment, housing and public accommodations to members of the LGBTQ community. The bill never received a hearing, but Democratic Rep. Oscar De Los Santos is sponsoring a similar bill this year.

State House members have seen three colleagues resign in the past few days.

Rep. Leezah Sun of the West Valley's Legislative District 22 also resigned Wednesday ahead of a likely vote by other House members to expel her. Her departure followed a scathing report by the House Ethics Committee that found she displayed a pattern of threats and abuse of office, breaking a House rule against disorderly behavior.

Rep. Jennifer Longdon, who was Shah's House seatmate in central Phoenix's Legislative District 5, took a job in health care policy and resigned Friday.

Also on Wednesday, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chose one of three candidates to fill another Legislative vacancy. Jevin Hodge, the former Democratic candidate for Congress who lost to Schweikert in 2022, will replace Rep. Athena Salman of Tempe, who resigned in December to take a job with a nonprofit organization to protect abortion rights. He's expected to be sworn into office on Feb. 2.

State law requires county leaders must fill vacancies with someone of the same party as the person leaving.

Democratic House Leader Lupe Contreras said he expects to see replacement soon for the vacant seats and took the departures in stride.

"We've been in the minority, so I mean, I think we still continue to be in the minority," he said after Shah and Sun's resignation announcements, referring to the fact that Republicans hold a one-vote majority in both the state House and Senate. "We'll be back on track here."

Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Democrat Amish Shah leaves AZ Legislature to focus on congressional run