(The Center Square) – Cost of living, immigration, water and data centers were among the issues debated Wednesday night by candidates for Arizona’s Congressional District 1.
Presented in partnership with Clean Elections, the Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission and the Arizona Media Association, the event offered a stark contrast between the two major party candidates: the Republican, Thomas “Jay” Feely IV, and the Democrat, Dr. Amish Shah. The race for the open seat is widely regarded as one of the competitive contests that will help determine which party takes control of the U.S. House in the Nov. 3 midterm election.
"On my side, I believe in limited government, in lower taxes, in individual liberties," Feely said during the debate, which streamed live from Sneaky Big Studios in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Shah and Democrats believe in bigger government, government solutions, more government intrusion and higher taxes."
Shah, an emergency room physician and former state legislator, emphasized his hands-on experience treating patients and working across the aisle.
Shah said that will be needed to help Arizonans.
"Gas is high. Diesel is even higher," said Shah. "We're talking about groceries, people looking at a box of cereal and having to put it back."
Shah added that the increased cost of energy from the conflict in Iran is a big reason for today’s prices.
"What we say in the Emergency Department is, 'Let's stop the hemorrhage,' " said Shah. "Let's stop making this worse so we can end the war."
Feely, a former NFL player, broadcaster and financial adviser, countered by pointing to historical inflation rates, arguing that excessive federal spending fueled the current economic climate.
He suggested actions to help people earn more money.
"When you put more money into people's pockets, it helps them to deal with inflation," said Feely. "No. 2, stop printing money."
When it comes to healthcare access and the cost of treatment, Shah expressed deep concern over hospital financial strains and patient debt.
"I have to treat those people because Ronald Reagan signed EMTALA [Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act] in 1986, which I happen to agree with, which says that everybody who comes to an Emergency Department has to get seen and has to get treated," said Shah. "It's the moral thing to do. And I agree with it. But that care isn't free. Somebody has to pay that."
Feely criticized past healthcare reform laws for empowering large insurance companies at the expense of individual consumers.
Advocating for transparent, market-driven changes, Feely pushed for things such as price transparency.
“It’s the only industry where you do not know what something costs before you go in there and then you take advantage of it,” said Feely. “You have to have that.”
Border policy and national security formed another critical point in the debate, particularly regarding how immigration intersects with federal safety nets and public resources.
Focusing heavily on enforcement, Feely argued past policy changes wrongfully extended government benefits to noncitizens.
While agreeing on core limitations regarding public assistance, Shah emphasized practical enforcement and criticized blanket administrative maneuvers. “I don’t think illegal immigrants should be on Medicaid.”
Still, Shah disagreed with methods such as rigid work requirements, arguing that states that tried this created administrative waste rather than practical solutions.
The candidates agreed on Arizona's need for an adequate water supply. They discussed the Colorado River - a key source for water supplies, irrigation for agriculture and recreation in the Southwest - and a federal plan requiring Arizona, Nevada and California - the lower basin states - to make cuts in their usage. The plan, developed by the Bureau of Reclamation, doesn't require cuts of the upper basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
If federal cuts need to be made, upper basin states and the lower basin states should make those cuts equally, Feeley argued.
"Water impacts everything,” the Republican candidate noted. “It impacts our ability to have more housing. It impacts our ability to bring industry here."
Feely then pushed for innovative solutions and regional cooperation.
"When you talk about desalination, when you talk about new farming practices, Arizona has done a really good job of conservation,” he said. “We should have a desalination plant. We should look at all the measures that we can do to make sure that we are water-independent.”
Shah, whose first vote in the Legislature was for a drought contingency plan, said Arizonans should “fight like hell for every drop” of water.
"Thinking outside the box while I was in the state Legislature again, a lot of the Republicans were talking about desalination,” the Democratic candidate said. “So I'm glad we agree also that this is something that can be done. We're talking about a study committee right now to look at that and buying up water rights while we help build desal plants elsewhere."
Near the end of the debate, the candidates were asked about data centers. It was a timely question, with many states and cities expressing concern about data centers using too much water and electricity. Supporters downplay the concerns.
Shah said the U.S. is going to need data centers because artificial intelligence is coming.
"I just don't want them in CD1, our district here,” he said. “The reason I say that is because, again, I'm fighting for the voters and making sure that their wishes are what is paramount here."
In contrast, Feely has framed data center development as vital for technological competitiveness against China. He added that data centers benefit Arizona’s economy.
“Right now in the state of Arizona, data centers bring in $27 billion to our GDP. They add about a billion dollars in revenue to the state of Arizona,” said Feely. “That's giving you the opportunity to increase teachers' pay. It's giving you the opportunity to do programs to actually help people.”
Arizona’s Congressional District 1 encompasses parts of North Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Carefree and Fountain Hills.
