Scottsdale council race shifts after Bob Littlefield withdraws from runoff

Former three-term Scottsdale Councilman Bob Littlefield has formally withdrawn from the Scottsdale City Council race, city officials confirmed, reshaping a competitive runoff and narrowing the field of contenders for two open council seats.

Withdrawal confirmed; general ballot now set

On Aug. 4 the Scottsdale City Clerk’s office notified candidates and the public that Littlefield "formally withdrew his candidacy and will not appear on the general election ballot." The action comes after a primary that produced one outright winner and a cluster of candidates close behind for the remaining positions.

"Why would I do that? I have the best chance of anyone to win. So, no, I’m not dropping out."

That was Littlefield’s response when early rumors circulated after the primary. A week later he reversed course and submitted a formal withdrawal.

City officials cited the Scottsdale City Charter in explaining the ballot adjustment. Under Article 9, Section 6, the three remaining candidates — Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Raoul Zubia — will appear on the Nov. general election ballot to vie for the two open seats. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead secured an outright win in the primary with 17.5% of the vote, exceeding the 16.7% threshold required to avoid a runoff.

Local political organizing and campaign effects

Littlefield also moved back into a leadership role with a local political action committee. In a mass email to supporters and contacts he described withdrawing from the race as "a difficult and personally painful decision." City records and subsequent communication show he was reinstated Aug. 4 as chair of the political action committee Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE), which formed in 2024 to oppose an Axon-related development plan that originally included 1,900 housing units and was later pared back to 1,200.

In June Littlefield resigned as TAAAZE chair while he campaigned. Before withdrawing from the race, he and two fellow conservative candidates — Ugenti-Rita and Graham — had spent roughly six months fundraising and campaigning together, according to campaign timelines. Littlefield’s exit ends what some local observers called nearly a quarter-century of Littlefield-era influence in Scottsdale local politics: he served three consecutive four-year terms on the council and pursued other local offices in subsequent years. His wife, Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield, is in the final months of her third term, which ends Dec. 31.

• What changed: Littlefield formally withdrew Aug. 4 and returned to chair TAAAZE.
• Ballot configuration: With Whitehead elected outright, Graham, Ugenti-Rita and Zubia will appear on the Nov. ballot for two remaining seats.
• Development fight: Littlefield had been active with TAAAZE, opposing an Axon-area housing plan reduced from 1,900 to 1,200 units.

The shift reduces the number of conservative-aligned candidates who had campaigned alongside Littlefield and could affect campaign strategy, fundraising allocation and voter outreach ahead of the general election. For voters, the practical outcome is a contest among three candidates for two seats rather than a four-way runoff for those positions.

What this means for November

With the primary now finalized and Littlefield off the ballot, the general election will present Scottsdale voters with three names for two council seats, alongside Councilwoman Whitehead, who has already secured her seat. Campaign calendars and outreach plans for the remaining contenders are likely to change; fewer candidates can mean intensified focus from interest groups and donors, and potentially altered endorsements.

City voters will decide the final composition of the council in November. For now, the withdrawal has narrowed the field and returned a well-known local figure to activist politics at a time when development and zoning debates remain central to Scottsdale’s municipal conversations.