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SCOTTSDALE, AZ — “I think your time is up,” Scottsdale City Council incumbent candidate Solange Whithead told challenger Michelle Ugenti-Rita during a debate Tuesday at City Hall.
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“I’m sure you want my time to be up because you don’t like that I’m calling you out,” Ugenti-Rita shot back at her.
It was one of several sharp exchanges between candidates as they compete for three council seats. The primary election is just two weeks away. A candidate has to receive the majority of the votes cast to win a seat outright in the July 21st primary.
Candidates include incumbents Barry Graham and Solange Whitehead, and challengers Crystal Carroll, Raoul Zubia, Ethan Knowlden, Eric Sloan, Bob Littlefield and Michelle Ugenti-Rita.
The debate touched on several key issues for the city of 243,000 people, including water concerns, overdevelopment, and whether the city council needs to be more civil.
“There’s no civility here, and there hasn’t been in the 25 years I’ve been involved,” said candidate Bob Littlefield, who is a former councilman and running for a seat this year.
Dark money quickly became a debate topic after financial reports filed last week showed a political action committee called Better Together has funneled a quarter million dollars into the race so far.
Records show Better Together is spending money to oppose Graham, Bob Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita. Records show Better Together has spent money supporting Whitehead and Sloan.
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Graham repeatedly questioned whether Whitehead was going to condemn the spending, which is being funneled through a super PAC headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Records show Better Together spent $52,000 supporting Whitehead’s re-election.
Whitehead responded near the end of the debate.
“I oppose dark money. I don’t need dark money, and I didn’t know about this PAC, and I didn’t accept any support from this PAC.”
Nearly every seat was filled for the debate, which was sponsored by Independent Newsmedia.
“I was having a really difficult time trying to decide who to vote for on this council. It’s very confusing this year,” said Scottsdale resident Elizabeth Backie after the debate.
She said she hasn’t made up her mind yet. But watching the debate has helped her get closer to ultimately deciding.
See where city council candidates stand on the issues.
Email ABC15 Reporter Anne Ryman at [email protected], call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X.
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