Water, growth and who gets to speak at City Hall are turning Scottsdale's July 21 primary into a high-stakes brawl for three at-large council seats. Eight candidates are jockeying for position, split over advanced water purification, new housing and how the public gets heard. Add outside spending tied to Axon and a fresh political action committee into the mix, and a normally sleepy midsummer election is suddenly loaded. With turnout and mail ballots likely to decide who clears the bar, voters have a short window to make a big call on July 21.
How the primary can decide it all
Because Scottsdale elects its councilmembers at-large, the primary can be the finish line, not just the warmup. Any candidate who wins a majority in the July 21 primary takes a seat outright and skips a November runoff. According to the City of Scottsdale, the Primary Election is set for Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and a majority of the legal votes cast is required to win without advancing to the fall. The city’s official list of contenders, posted by the City of Scottsdale, puts incumbents Barry Graham and Solange Whitehead on the ballot with challengers Crystal Carroll, Raoul Zubia, Ethan Knowlden, Eric Sloan, Bob Littlefield and Michelle Ugenti-Rita.
Where they fall on water and public comment
One of the sharpest splits is over "Advanced Water Purification," local shorthand for highly treated recycled water that could end up back in the drinking supply. Ethan Knowlden and Raoul Zubia support expanding advanced purified recycled water and even direct potable reuse as part of Scottsdale's long-term water strategy. Barry Graham, Bob Littlefield and Michelle Ugenti-Rita oppose pushing treated wastewater into taps. Crystal Carroll has staked out a middle lane, saying the technology "deserves serious consideration" as long as it is paired with rigorous testing and robust public education. Several candidates also argued that moving public comment back to the beginning of council meetings would help restore transparency and trust at City Hall. Those positions were laid out in responses submitted to ABC15 Arizona.
Axon, outside money and the apartment fight
Outside cash has become its own campaign issue. Councilmember Barry Graham and two other candidates signed an open letter accusing consultants linked to Axon executives of trying to sway the race through a new political action committee. Axios reported that the PAC, called Better Together, has aired ads targeting Graham, Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita, and that campaign-finance records show related contributions to efforts viewed as favorable to Axon. The company told Axios it was not directing the operation. The fight over money and influence grew out of a long-running battle over Axon’s proposed corporate campus and its housing component. Local coverage notes that the city and Axon ultimately negotiated a compromise that cut the housing portion to about 1,200 units, according to AZFamily.
Voting logistics and what to watch
For voters trying to keep up, the basics still matter. Ballots for the July primary can be dropped off at Scottsdale City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd, although the city has said it will not offer in-person voting at that building for the primary. Details are available from the City of Scottsdale. Historically, about two-thirds of Scottsdale voters have cast their ballots by mail, a pattern City Clerk Ben Lane told ABC15 Arizona could determine who manages to clear the majority threshold. Early returns and turnout on July 21 will tell the story. Any candidate who tops 50 percent will win on the spot and spare residents a fall runoff.
