The Ace and the Unforced Error: Ugenti-Rita’s Tale of Two Moments

By Ronald Sampson

Michelle Ugenti-Rita has had two very different moments on camera lately. One was a masterclass in how to answer a powerful opponent. The other, caught on camera at a debate, handed her rival a gift.

First, the ace. Standing in front of a sign that shows her in cornrows, Ugenti-Rita said Axon could have simply opposed her over its apartment plan. Instead, she said, hundreds of thousands of dollars went toward attacking her and others, including signs mocking her appearance. Axon-linked Better Together is now under Attorney General review over its disclosures, and Axon says it was not directly involved.

The Ace

The video worked because of its tone. She explained those braids as popular in her mother’s home country or Norway; an ode to her heritage. She positioned it as bullying from a multibillion-dollar company that once proposed a 1,900-unit apartment project and now looks petty when it spends money mocking a candidate.

Her closing line was just as good. She said she would not be intimidated out of her principles. That is tactical, effective, and worthy of the fight she is in.

The Unforced Error

Then came the debate. Ugenti-Rita reportedly suggested that Raoul Zubia “almost lives in Tempe.” As we noted in our op-ed, Zubia is a lifelong resident who still lives in his South Scottsdale family home.

Whether she meant it as a joke or a jab, it landed as a shot at the south end of town. South Scottsdale voters heard a candidate sneer at where they live, a sort of coded elitism. She said the quiet part out loud: Scottsdale’s ruling class doesn’t care about the city south of Old Town. Unfortunately for her, that part of the city is a large share of the electorate she wants to represent. What she likely thought was a zinger was a failure.

Punching Up, Punching Down

The contrast is the lesson. In the first moment, she punched up at a powerful company and earned sympathy. In the second, she punched down at a neighborhood and lost it. Voters forgive plenty, but they rarely forgive being talked down to.

The Takeaway

Early ballots are already out, and the Nov. 3 runoff is close. Ugenti-Rita has a real message about standing up to special interests. She should do more of the first moment and none of the second.