New York, Apr 25 (IANS): Indian-American state representative Amish Shah announced that he will be running for Congress in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, which is presently held by Republican David Schweikert.

An emergency physician for over 15 years, Shah, a Democrat, has been representing districts in the Phoenix area as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives since 2019.

"I am running for Congress because I have seen the difference a single person can make within the government to improve people's lives. Serving in Congress is an opportunity to make an even greater positive impact on issues affecting Arizona," Shah said in a statement announcing his candidacy.

According to his campaign statement, he has made a name for himself with his unique brand of door-to-door campaigning, having visited over 15,000 households, and to date, he has had more bills signed into law than any other Democrat currently in the Arizona legislature.

"Giving back is a core value for me. Because of the sacrifices of my parents, who both came to this country from India to pursue a better life, I was able to become a doctor, work on field with the NFL, and be the first Indian-American to serve in the Arizona legislature," Shah said.

Born and raised in Chicago, Shah's parents were engineering students who immigrated from India in the 1960s. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

He graduated from the Northwestern University Medical School as part of the Honors Program in Medical Education.

Outside of his medical practice, he founded the first Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival as a philanthropic endeavour to promote healthy eating and eliminate preventable disease.

"We need to try to understand each other and navigate our differences if we hope to tackle vital issues facing our country such as public education, quality affordable health care, climate change, and voting rights. It would be an honor to address these issues on behalf of Arizonans in the US Congress," Shah said.

He has leveraged his medical expertise to become a steadfast voice for improving health care for all Arizonans.

He has advocated for increasing access to care and improving Arizona's healthcare workforce, the campaign statement read.

He was named 2022 Women's Health Care Champion Legislator of the Year by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology for his work protecting reproductive rights.

Last year, Shah also received the Nursing Hero Award from the Arizona Nurses Association, and the President's Award for Mental Health Advocacy from the Arizona Psychiatric Society.

He also contributes to Sounds Academy and the Humane Society of the United States, organisations that focus on children's exposure to the arts and the promotion of a kind society, as well as several other charities.