Guest Editorial: The Political Earthquake In Scottsdale No One Is Talking About . . .And Ramifications For The City’s Future

By Jason Rose I ran my first successful campaign in Scottsdale in 1994. Two years later I consulted on the campaign that elected the city’s first female mayor, Sam Campana. Ever since I have been heavily involved in the Scottsdale political scene leading elections for other mayors, hockey arenas and bonds to fund new infrastructure. I offer these credentials not … Read More

Guest Editorial: Mark Kelly is Pivoting on the Border – Is Anyone Fooled?

By Ronald Sampson It’s late August in an even-numbered year, which in Arizona can also be known as “pivot season”. Now that primaries are out of the way, winning candidates will traditionally move towards the political center to appeal to those across the aisle. Blake Masters celebrated this holiday as ostentatiously as the person on your street whose Christmas lights … Read More

Scottsdale’s Tourism Plan Just Dropped. What Do You Need to Know?

You almost certainly know how important of an economic driver tourism is to Scottsdale. It fills our coffers, puts Scottsdale on an international map, and provides myriad jobs in the hospitality industry. And like any well-run city, we have leadership that recognizes its importance and puts together regular plans to help guide best practices to cultivate it. Recently, the city … Read More

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs…Still

Political street signs are one of the most prevalent forms of political advertising, and simultaneously one of the most obnoxious. For half a year every high-traffic corner in the county turns into an arms race to see who can get the best placement, and as a result as many as a dozen signs crowd out every free square foot of … Read More

Guest Editorial: Election Night – Trump was the Biggest Winner in Arizona

By Ronald Sampson As you are nearly certainly aware of, last Tuesday was primary election day, and while there weren’t many shocking outcomes, there was a very clear winner: someone who wasn’t even on the ballot. Indeed, former President Trump Trump made four big ticket endorsements: Blake Masters for Senate, Kari Lake for Governor, Mark Finchem for Secretary of State, … Read More

Paradise Valley’s Long Nightmare is Over: Paul Dembow is Out

In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice”. It took 12 years worth of arc, but Paradise Valley finally found its justice in the form of a thorough electoral spanking. After three terms as Town Councilman, Paul Dembow lost his bid for a fourth term, and … Read More

Local Election Recap: Money Didn’t Win in Scottsdale (and What Else We Learned)

Money is traditionally a significant determinant of a political campaign’s success, but as we are prone to saying, that alone doesn’t make or break an election; all the money in the world won’t matter if you don’t use it well, or your message doesn’t resonate. This lesson was as pronounced as it could possibly be in last week’s Scottsdale City … Read More