SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Much of Arizona shifted left in this election, but Scottsdale voters went in a different direction when it came to their City Council.
With the vast majority of votes counted, incumbent Barry Graham and candidate Michelle Ugenti-Rita hold a comfortable lead for the two open council seats.
ABC15 met up with Graham at the Scottsdale Waterfront in Old Town, where he reflected on a race that was unlike any he had ever seen.
Outside interests poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race. Graham was on the receiving end of some of those ads, including signs showing him in a trash can with the message "Bye, Bye Barry."
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He said his twin 5-year-olds noticed the signs saying, "Daddy, you're in a garbage can."
Graham said he told them, "Don't worry, kids, they do it to everybody."
He and candidate Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a former Arizona legislator, campaigned together.
A third candidate, Raoul Zubia, conceded last week on social media, telling supporters on social media:
"We didn't get the result we hoped for. But what we stood for hasn't changed. We believed, and still believe that a city council should be about solving problems, not scoring points. About what works, not who wins the argument. Scottsdale deserves that kind of leadership, and I'm not going to stop working toward it."
Graham and Ugenti-Rita are poised to join Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, who won her seat outright in the July primary.
What residents can expect
Graham said he and Ugenti-Rita ran on a campaign promise to stay focused on local priorities.
"Laser focused on local solutions to local issues," Graham said.
Graham said that means an emphasis on public safety, cracking down on short-term rental bad actors, and prioritizing single-family homes over high-density apartments.
"This is going to be a city council that puts residents before special interests," he said.
As for turning wastewater into drinking water — so-called toilet-to-tap — that's not expected anytime soon.
"If it was a proven solution, we would do it. But we've got to follow the data and our water experts," Graham said.
Council background
Eight candidates were originally in the running for the three seats on the Scottsdale City Council.
Scottsdale doesn’t have districts, so the mayor and the city council members represent the entire 243,000-population city. A candidate had to receive the majority of the votes cast to win a seat outright in July. Only one candidate - Whitehead - was elected outright in the primary this year.
Graham, Ugenti-Rita and Zubia all advanced to the general election, competing for the two remaining seats.
