SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Voting has just started in Scottsdale’s primary election, and one topic is already dominating the conversation.
Axon, the company that makes Tasers, is at the center of the dispute.
“They’re looking to elect rubber-stamp loyalists who will put their ambitions first,” said Scottsdale City Councilman Barry Graham, who is one of eight candidates running for three council seats.
Graham previously opposed a plan by Axon to rezone land in north Scottsdale, where the company plans to build a corporate headquarters and 1,200 apartments and condos.
A new political action committee, Better Together, formed earlier this month. The committee is posting signs around town showing Graham in a trash can with the words “Bye-Bye Barry.”
Better Together is being run by a former Axon lobbyist and a former Axon spokesman. Both are Scottsdale residents.
“We have a First Amendment right to take part in the election process, and that’s what we’re doing,” said David Lebowitz, the committee’s treasurer and a former Axon spokesman.
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It’s unclear who is funding Better Together. The committee is not due to file its first campaign report until July 15.
Graham, along with two other candidates – former Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield and former Arizona legislator Michelle Ugenti-Rita – recently wrote a formal letter to Axon’s board of directors, saying circumstantial evidence suggests that Axon’s senior executives are “attempting to remove local elected officials and candidates perceived as insufficiently supportive of the company’s development objectives.”
Axon did not respond to requests from ABC15 for comment.
The company’s plans for a new corporate headquarters and housing units are now on hold pending the outcome of two legal challenges.
Candidates running for three seats on the council include incumbents Barry Graham and Solange Whitehead and challengers Crystal Carroll, Raoul Zubia, Ethan Knowlden, Eric Sloan, Bob Littlefield and Michelle Ugenti-Rita.
Voting in Scottsdale’s primary got underway last week.
Scottsdale City Clerk says two-thirds of Scottsdale voters usually cast their ballots by mail.
Ballots can be dropped off at Scottsdale City Hall, but residents cannot vote in person at city hall.
If you plan to mail your ballot, Lane said July 14 is the recommended date to mail your ballot. Ballots must be received by Maricopa County by July 21.
More information on Scottsdale’s primary is available here.
