Scottsdale primary: Whitehead appears reelected; four advance to November

Scottsdale’s July 21 primary appears to have reelected Solange Whitehead to the City Council, while narrowing the contest for two other seats to four candidates.

The city’s final unofficial results list Whitehead first with 28,338 votes, or 17.48% of the vote. The Scottsdale results page identifies her as reelected, but the result is not legally final until the required canvass is completed.

Four candidates advance for two seats

Barry Graham, Bob Littlefield, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Raoul Zubia are the four candidates advancing to the November 3 general election. Two council seats remain to be filled, meaning the two highest vote-getters in November will take office in January 2027.

That distinction matters because the November election is not a three-seat rematch. One seat appears to have been resolved in the primary, subject to certification, while voters will choose two winners from the four-candidate field in the general election.

Why the primary produced a November contest

Three Scottsdale City Council seats were contested in the primary. Under the city’s election structure, a candidate who receives a majority can win a seat outright. Seats without a majority winner move to the general election, where the remaining positions are decided.

The official election pamphlet for Scottsdale’s primary explained that eight candidates were competing for the three council seats and that unresolved seats could continue to November. Axios Phoenix also reported before the election that some of the Scottsdale council positions were expected to advance to the general election.

Certification dates to watch

Scottsdale’s results page was last updated July 27 and labels the totals “final unofficial results.” The Scottsdale City Council is scheduled to canvass the election on August 3. According to the city, that process is when the results become official at the local level.

Arizona’s statewide canvass of the July 21 primary is scheduled for August 6, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s 2026 election calendar. Until those steps are completed, Whitehead is best described as the apparent winner, and the November field should be described as the group of candidates advancing based on unofficial results.

For Scottsdale voters, the next major election date is November 3. That general election will determine which two of Graham, Littlefield, Ugenti-Rita and Zubia win the remaining council seats, with terms beginning in January 2027.

Sources

• City of Scottsdale Election Results — July 21, 2026 Primary
• Arizona Secretary of State 2026 Election Information
• Maricopa County Elections Scottsdale 2026 Primary Election Information Pamphlet