SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Republican Jay Feely and Democrat Amish Shah are locked in a toss-up race for Arizona's 1st Congressional District, which includes Scottsdale.
A sharp difference emerged between the two candidates during a recent Clean Elections debate: their views on data centers.
Shah, an emergency room physician and former Arizona legislator, said he does not want data centers built in CD-1. He acknowledged the country will need them as artificial intelligence continues to grow, but said voters in the district have made their feelings clear.
"When I'm talking to the voters, what they have said to me clearly is they don't want them in CD-1," Shah said.
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Feely, a former NFL player and broadcaster, took a different view, arguing that data centers are important for economic growth.
"They add about a billion dollars in revenue to the state of Arizona. That's giving you the opportunity to increase teacher's pay. It's giving you the opportunity to do programs to actually help people," Feely said.
Feely said local communities should decide whether they want data centers built in their areas.
He also criticized Shah for supporting tax breaks for data centers while serving in the state legislature.
"I think it's really hypocritical for you to stand up here and say to the voters that you're now against data centers. When you were in office, you voted for the tax credits to bring those data centers here," Feely said.
Shah defended his position, saying when that vote was taken, artificial intelligence was not on the radar.
"However, when the situation changes and suddenly you've got massive amounts of people applying as we have seen, and you see that you're going to double the amount of wattage that these things are going to take. You're going to have to think about the ratepayers."
The full debate is available on the Clean Elections website.
The last day to request an early voting ballot is Oct. 23. Election Day is Nov. 3.
CD1 is home to about 820,000 people.
The district covers northeast Phoenix along with Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Cave Creek. Joe Biden narrowly won the district in 2020, and Donald Trump narrowly carried it in 2024.
