Democrats see Arizona’s first congressional district as one of their best chances to flip a seat from red to blue in their efforts to win back the House. It also happens to be one of the districts President Biden needs to win the state.
With so much attention on the district, Republican Rep. David Schweikert is looking at one of his toughest election cycles yet — and it’s likely to only get tougher if a measure to enshrine abortion rights in Arizona makes it onto the ballot.
The seven-term representative has long been considered one of the most conservative members of the House; a good credential to have when he represented the much redder Sixth District. But those bona fides could turn into a liability as Schweikert faces a host of hurdles that include not only the potential of an abortion amendment that could boost Democratic turnout but a district that is becoming less conservative and an expected influx of heavy Democratic spending on the presidential and Senate races.