The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dropped a new paid digital ad today targeting Amish Shah, the radical socialist who just won the primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a key battleground for control of the House. The ad highlights Shah's ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), including backing Bernie Sanders for president at a DSA event in 2019. He also heaped praise on AOC and other members of the extreme left-wing Squad, praising their progressive movement in the Democratic Party while calling our economic system unfair.
Shah ran for Congress in 2024, where he underperformed both Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego, and now he's decided that his best move is to run even farther to the left than he did two years ago. Shah himself admitted it back in May, saying, "I’m not hesitating one bit to use, you know, my platform to be able to prosecute as vigorously as I can sometimes with, you know, expletives and whatever it takes" because President Trump is "horrible."
The NRCC's ad highlights Shah's extremism and the danger he poses to Arizona families.
"Socialist Amish Shah," the ad says. "He's with AOC, Ilhan Omar ... The Squad. Amish Shah would raise taxes by $4,000 per year on every family, and give sanctuary to criminal illegal aliens. Shah voted against border security funding, against police funding, and against requiring child sex offenders to register online. Shah even voted for early release for dangerous criminals. Socialist Amish Shah: too extreme, too dangerous for us."
Shah has an uphill battle within his own party, as Democrat leadership grapples with what to do to address the insurgence of socialists. Will the Democrats back Shah financially? The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and its allies spent $4.5 million in an effort to defeat Shah, and Shah spent the primary night begging the DCCC for support, going so far as to joke that he hopes to get their endorsement over his Republican opponent, Jay Feely.
That's awkward: Socialist @DrAmishShah spent primary night begging the DCCC for support after the DCCC & its allies spent $4.5 million trying to defeat him.
— Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 22, 2026
SHAH: "I hope that I can get their endorsement over Jay Feely." #AZ01 https://t.co/LEzIGnHHDZ pic.twitter.com/1z29LOtPRD
Shah admitted earlier this year that the DCCC executive director wanted someone more electable, and even The New York Times said Shah's primary would leave him "bloodied" and "broke" ahead of the general election.
Meanwhile, Feely cruised to victory on election night, earning almost 50 percent of the vote and receiving strong praise from pundits for his disciplined, unifying campaign. Pollster Mike Noble called Feely "one of the best Republican candidates in the state right now." Political consultant Stan Barnes said Feely is a "dynamic & attractive candidate" and that Shah will "end up in second place."
"Socialist Amish Shah would take Arizona down a costly, dangerous path," said NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen. "Socialist Shah backed enormous tax hikes on every Arizona household, demanded a socialist government takeover of health care and voted at the State Capitol to put our families in danger from criminals, drug cartels, and child sex offenders."