When a national conservative group infuriates local Republicans by backing a Democrat … well, you must be in Scottsdale.

Elections for Scottsdale’s leaders have long been “nonpartisan.” According to the Maricopa County Elections Department, the last day to mail back ballots for the July 21 primary is Tuesday, July 14.

Unlike state races, Scottsdale voters filling out ballots will not see “Republican” or “Democrat” in front of the eight candidates battling for three City Council seats.

Yet some are complaining party politics are heavily at play here – in an unexpected way. 

The topsy-turvy political scene here has long infuriated one of the leaders of Axon. The nation’s conservative-in-chief is certainly a believer in the Taser maker, as President Donald Trump recently bought millions in Axon stocks.

Yet three Scottsdale City Council candidates who boast of being conservatives have led a long fight against the Axon’s apartments-hotel-office campus in North Scottsdale.

Now, Republican candidates Bob Littlefield, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Councilman Barry Graham are complaining National Horizon is funding ads that attack them – while supporting Councilwoman Solange Whitehead.

Josh Isner, the president of Axon, has been at the center of the battle for two years.

On Jan. 22, a conservative account called The Reckoning (slogan: “We will make America wealthy again!”) posted on X: “Arizona has to be the weirdest state in the union. Strongly Republican but every statewide office holder is a Democrat.”

Isner reposted that two days later, with his own commentary: “Very simple. Half the Republicans here are so far right they are actually completing the loop to the far left.”

Without dropping names, Isner added: “Just look at the anti-business, jobs/economy ‘Republicans’ in Scottsdale.”

This, by the way, was two months after Isner spoke at a City Council meeting. Lobbying for support of a city-Axon memorandum of understanding, Isner displayed a text saying “can u guys agree to 500 now & 200 in next 60 months” – which, Isner stressed, “I can prove to you was from TAAAZE.”

He was using the acronym for Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Expenditures, a dark money-funded political action committee formed to fight Axon’s original plan for 1,900 apartments.

Isner, Axon founder Rick Smith and the company itself contributed $1.1 million to Arizonans for a Better Future last year.

Months before candidates filed statements of interest, Graham complained the group targeted him and others who opposed Axon’s apartment plan.

Now, a new PAC called Better Together is pumping out ads targeting Graham, Bob Littlefield, a former councilman and husband of current Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield, and Ugenti-Rita, a former state senator and representative. 

Better Together filed with the state June 5 with Chris Baker as its chairman; he is also listed as an Axon lobbyist. David Leibowitz, who as recently as May 14 responded to a Progress question as its spokesman, is listed as Better Together’s treasurer.

Though PAC financial statements are not due until July 15, Leibowitz sent out Better Together’s report last week. It showed $335,000 in contributions from National Horizon, a DC-area group known as “a conservative, Republican-aligned super PAC.”

The report showed Better Together spent tens of thousands of dollars – including on Scottsdale Progress ads – slamming Ugenti-Rita, Bob Littlefield and Barry Graham.

So money donated by a conservative PAC is being used to attack candidates who boast of being conservatives.

Meanwhile, Better Together stated spending $52,000 on “Solange for Scottsdale” – which Leibowitz told the Progress was in support of Whitehead.

That was news to her.

“I read about their ‘support’ in the paper and nearly fell off my chair,” Whitehead said this week.

Better Together also spent money in support of Eric Sloan – leaving Ethan Knowlden, Raoul Zubia and Crystal Carroll on the sidelines, without support or attacks from the new PAC.

 

Graham fires back

Over the last month, Graham complained Axon was funding “Bye Bye Barry” signs and other attacks on him.

He, Bob Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita wrote a letter of complaint to Axon’s board of directors, suggesting “a direct effort by senior Axon executives to influence the outcome of the 2026 Scottsdale City Council election.”

After the Progress July 5 story on Better Together’s financial statement, Graham revised his tune.

Citing the financial disclosure, Graham posted that more than a quarter-million dollars was “funneled through a Washington, DC Super PAC into the Scottsdale City Council race by the Axon-linked ‘Better Together’ front group.

“These record-breaking sums are being rerouted to hide the real donors and help Solange Whitehead and Eric Sloan — while funding false and personal attacks against Bob Littlefield, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, and me.”

The Progress asked the other candidates to share any concerns they might have on campaign funding.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re spending time on this instead of focusing on issues like water security,” Knowlden said.

Just the same, he eagerly jumped in with allegations:

“To some in the Council race, ‘dark money’ – money donated legally but anonymously – is ‘bad’ only when it supports their opponents. But when dark money supports them or their causes, somehow that’s perfectly fine. 

“They can’t have it both ways,” Knowlden said.

Zubia snarkily noted, “There are whiners and there are doers.

“The prevalence of money and its influence isn’t good for anyone,” he added. “But as candidates, we get in knowing that. This isn’t some new thing.”

Not a big deal, Zubia concluded:

“We have all been attacked by outside groups in this race. Instead of whining about it, we need to run our races and deliver for the people when elected.” 

Veteran politician Bob Littlefield’s terse reply:

“Nothing new.”

Other candidates did not respond.

Whitehead is a registered Democrat and has received endorsements from big Democratic groups in Scottsdale. She insists nobody from Better Together coordinated with her. 

“I know nothing about the PAC,” she said.

Leibowitz confirmed Better Together did not work with Whitehead.

“The law dictates that independent expenditures don’t coordinate with candidates. Ever,” the Better Together treasurer said. “And we have not. Ever.”

Leibowitz said Better Together funds were spent on “an independent expenditure campaign – no money went to any candidate.

“It’s no different,” he added, “than the Independent expenditure being run by NicoPAC on behalf of Barry Graham …”

According to the group’s website, 19-year-old Nico Delgado – a “young political activist committed to preserving conservative values” – is the founder of NicoPAC.

The political action committee supports Graham, Ugenti-Rita and Bob Littlefield. The latter is connected to another PAC: Bob Littlefield was the chairman of TAAAZE. 

He stepped down recently, noting this frees up TAAAZE to contribute to Scottsdale candidates.

‘Dark money’

Whitehead said she is against dark money: “That’s why I opposed TAAAZE.”

There’s a difference, Leibowitz jumps to point out.

TAAAZE has not filed a report from the second quarter yet. Previously, the anti-Axon apartments PAC has been funded by Public Integrity Alliance, a Mesa-based PAC that fits the legal definition of “dark money.”

Leibowitz said Better Together is not funded by dark money, as National Horizon will list its donors in reports.

Even so, those who donate to National Horizon will not be listed as supporting Better Together’s Scottsdale candidate endorsements – or those it opposes.

Via email, the Progress asked National Horizon why it is funding a local election across the country – and why the “Republican/conservative” super PAC is bankrolling an attack on three self-proclaimed conservatives.

No response was received, as of this newspaper’s deadline.

The Progress also asked Leibowitz who decided to launch Better Together and how the Scottsdale PAC became connected with National Horizon.

“We started the Better Together campaign to give Scottsdale voters a look at the records of several candidates in the Council race,” Leibowitz responded.

“At a time when politics typically focuses only on controversy, we wanted to fill the void for voters who prefer facts.”

Leibowitz would not answer how his PAC became connected to National Horizon and why Better Together is using a national group – rather than soliciting Scottsdale support.

Asked to reveal the individual donors connected to Better Together, Leibowitz responded: 

“Given the way Graham, Ugenti-Rita and Littlefield viciously and baselessly attack anyone who disagrees with them, we respect donors’ constitutional right to privacy.”

This was a flip of the response Public Integrity Alliance’s Tyler Montague gave when asked to name TAAAZE donors.

In a story in the July 5 Progress, Montague said Axon’s actions justify keeping donors anonymous: “Look at how they’ve been behaving. Look at what they’re apparently doing to people who opposed them.”

Now, a new PAC attacking those who spoke out against Axon’s plan is also supporting one councilwoman accused of being “an Axon cheerleader” for her votes.

“I don’t need outside support,” insisted Whitehead, who is after a third term in Scottsdale.

But she chuckled at one idea:

“You have a Republican super PAC going against people claiming to represent them.”

This concept might baffle outsiders, but it all makes sense to Graham.

“The attacks against us have not been issue-based,” he said. “They’re personal, false and full of innuendo.”