Scottsdale residents received the first set of unofficial election results Thursday night, with the Maricopa County Elections Department posting numbers at 8 p.m., an hour after polls closed. The early counts cover the two city council seats, three seats on the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board, a $375 million bond request, and two local propositions, offering a snapshot of voter sentiment that will shape city services and schools.
In the city council race for two seats, Raoul Zubia led with 40,171 votes (34.23%). Incumbent Councilman Barry Graham followed closely with 38,775 votes (33.04%), while former six‑term state representative Michelle Ugenti‑Rita trailed by a narrow margin with 38,426 votes (32.74%). The three candidates together accounted for the 87,571 votes cast in the council contest, according to Scottsdale.org.
The SUSD Governing Board race, also for two seats, saw Jennifer Johnson take an early lead with 36,422 votes (39.39%). Incumbent Amy Carney secured the second spot with 29,322 votes (31.71%), and Jeanne Beasley received 26,727 votes (28.9%). The three candidates collectively garnered 79,433 votes in the school board portion of the election.
Voters also weighed a $375 million bond request to fund school facilities and programs. Early results show 40,671 voters (56%) supporting the bond, while 31,953 voters (44%) opposed it, indicating majority backing for the district’s capital improvements.
Two propositions were on the ballot. Proposition 319, which would prohibit new photo‑traffic‑enforcement systems, received 59.02% approval in the first count. Conversely, Proposition 320, proposing that public school districts allocate 60% of their budgets to direct instruction, faced 54.31% opposition, reflecting a clear rejection by early voters.
According to the Maricopa County Elections Department, the initial results represent 1,017,405 ballots, or 39.28% of the 2,589,827 eligible voters. Additional early ballot results are expected after 10 p.m., and final certification will follow once all mail‑in and provisional ballots are counted. Scottsdale residents should watch for the official results release in the coming days to confirm the outcomes of these closely watched races and measures.
Sources: scottsdale.org
