Scottsdale City Council hopeful Bob Littlefield won’t appear on voters’ ballot this fall after he announced his decision on Aug. 4 to withdraw from the upcoming runoff election.
Littlefield, a former council member who hoped to fill the seat that his wife is leaving this winter, finished fourth in the July 21 primary race, allowing him to move on to the November rematch.
He was set to compete against his political allies — incumbent Councilmember Barry Graham and former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita — and one of their chief rivals, Raoul Zubia, on Nov. 3.
All four fell short of earning enough votes to win outright and fill the two remaining seats last month. Only incumbent Councilmember Solange Whitehead won the race, reclaiming her seat as the top
vote-getter.
“I made this decision based on the results of the recent primary election and the effect those results have had on the Scottsdale political landscape,” Littlefield told supporters on social media. “My departure from the campaign leaves two strong opponents of overdevelopment in the race who I am confident will capture the two remaining seats on the City Council.”
Littlefield, 78, said he will instead return to his position as chairperson of Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, the political action committee he founded to challenge Axon’s plans to build a multifamily development alongside its new headquarters in north Scottsdale.
The move also means the 24-year era of a Littlefield in Scottsdale City Hall comes to an end. After Bob Littlefield served three consecutive terms from 2002 to 2014, his wife, Kathy Littlefield, was elected to office and is finishing her third and final term.
Scottsdale leaders are limited to serving three consecutive terms.
This is a developing story.
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Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Littlefield exits Scottsdale council race, leaving allies to fight on
