By Matthew Holloway |
Scottsdale Councilman Barry Graham and former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita are poised to win the city’s two remaining council seats after rival Raoul Zubia conceded Thursday evening. The two candidates campaigned together on a conservative platform in the officially nonpartisan election.
According to Scottsdale’s unofficial results, as of November 5 at 8:30 p.m., Ugenti-Rita led with 51,141 votes, or 33.91% of votes recorded in the contest. Graham followed with 50,992 votes, or 33.81%, while Zubia received 48,678 votes, or 32.28%.
Those totals put Ugenti-Rita ahead of Zubia by 2,463 votes and Graham ahead by 2,314 votes. The two candidates receiving the most votes win the seats. Results remain unofficial pending the City Council’s canvass.
Brian Anderson congratulated the two candidates in a post on X, writing, “Congratulations to @MichelleUgenti and @BarrySGraham! Amazing news for families and businesses in Scottsdale.”
Councilwoman Solange Whitehead also congratulated Graham and Ugenti-Rita and thanked Zubia. Whitehead expressed respect for Zubia and thanked Scottsdale residents for participating in the election.
Graham, a certified public accountant who has served on the council since 2023, is positioned to return for a second term. Ugenti-Rita previously represented Scottsdale in the Arizona Legislature for 12 years.
The contest began with eight candidates competing for three council seats in the July 21 primary. Whitehead secured reelection outright, leaving two seats to be decided in November. Graham, Ugenti-Rita, Zubia, and former Councilman Bob Littlefield advanced to the general election.
Littlefield formally withdrew August 4, leaving three candidates on the November ballot. He stepped aside to avoid splitting votes with Graham and Ugenti-Rita, who shared his opposition to the apartment component of Axon’s headquarters development.
The Axon dispute followed the council’s 2024 approval of rezoning for the Taser manufacturer’s headquarters campus and associated housing. Residents organized through Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE) gathered signatures seeking a public vote on the rezoning. Subsequent state legislation, SB 1543, blocked that referendum effort.
In November 2025, the council approved a compromise agreement in a 4–3 vote allowing 600 apartments and 600 condominiums across two construction phases. Mayor Lisa Borowsky defended the agreement as a reduction in the project’s residential density. Axon thanked Borowsky, Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman, Whitehead, and Councilwoman Maryann McAllen for supporting the deal.
The dispute carried into the council campaign. In June, Graham, Ugenti-Rita, and Littlefield sent a letter to Axon’s board alleging that company executives were financing efforts to defeat candidates opposed to the apartment component. Arizonans for a Better Future received $500,000 from Axon, $500,000 from CEO Rick Smith, $100,000 from President Josh Isner, and $20,000 from Chief Legal Officer Isaiah Fields.
Water policy also divided the candidates. Zubia supported expanding wastewater purification for drinking water. Ugenti-Rita opposed adding purified recycled water directly to the drinking supply, while Graham described the option as a last resort.
Ugenti-Rita also campaigned against Flock license plate readers. In an August 10 campaign statement, she wrote, “I oppose Flock cameras because I believe the right to privacy outweighs the benefits of putting citizens under continuous, automated surveillance.”
The standings shifted as ballots were counted. Zubia led in the first returns Tuesday evening before subsequent updates moved Graham and Ugenti-Rita into the top two positions. The successful candidates will take office in January 2027.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
