David Schweikert

In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, national politics reporter Laura Gersony walks you through the similarities and differences between the candidates on the CD1 Republican primary ballot.

Republican Congressman David Schweikert is leaving his Congressional District 1 seat to run for Arizona governor.

The open seat is in a highly competitive swing district that voted for both Donald Trump and Ruben Gallego in 2024.

Republican Congressman David Schweikert has held his seat in Congressional District 1 since 2010, but this year, he's leaving the seat to run for governor.

While Democrats are hoping this is their opportunity to flip the seat to blue, Republicans are desperate to keep it for their party.

The open seat is in one of the state's two swing districts, considered one of the most competitive districts in the nation. In 2024, it was the only one in Arizona to vote for both Republican Donald Trump for president and Democrat Ruben Gallego for U.S. Senate.

That split decision highlights the competitive nature of the seat Republicans are hoping to hold onto. Before they can do that, they have to sort out who they will nominate for a race that would have been an uphill battle — even if Schweikert had stayed.

The front-runner in the race so far is former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, who has both the coveted President Trump endorsement and endorsements from the U.S. House's Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.

But it's not a done deal for Feely. Other competitors are vying for the district's vote, too.

In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, national politics reporter Laura Gersony walks you through the similarities and differences between the candidates on the CD1 Republican primary ballot.

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