Lisa Borowsky expected to win Scottsdale's mayoral race; David Ortega admits

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) – Incumbent Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has awarded the election to challenger Lisa Borowsky, who the Associated Press expects to win the race.

The election was a rematch of 2020, when Ortega defeated Borowsky by nearly 6,000 votes, but this year the tables were turned when the race for Borowsky was called. As of Thursday morning, the count shows Borowsky at 56,050 (53.9%) to 47,953 (46.1%) with an estimated 73% of the vote.

Lisa Borowsky wins Scottsdale mayoral race.(azfamily)

“It has been my honor to serve the people of Scottsdale as mayor. This was a hard-fought campaign, and although my re-election fell short, I thank every voter, volunteer and friend for their support. I congratulate Mayor-elect Borowsky on her victory,” Ortega said in a statement. “She and I have disagreed strongly on many issues during this campaign, but I recognize her commitment to the people of Scottsdale and wish her continued success.”

According to Borowsky’s campaign website The lifelong Scottsdale resident has spent more than two decades as a commercial litigation attorney, representing homeowners in construction-related matters. She also has an extensive background in community involvement, including the Scottsdale Charros Foundationand has served on several committees while on the City Council.

She says that the ideals of “Fiscal conservatism” helped the city recover from the Great Recession.

Although both ran nonpartisan campaigns, Ortega was endorsed by current and former conservative leaders, including Ortega’s predecessor Jim Lane, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and former Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

Her top campaign priorities included rejecting density-oriented development and curbing what she described as “wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.” Her campaign website also outlines seven key issues and focuses on the hospitality industry, prioritizing public safety and “vision-based planning.”

In the run-up to the elections, critics of independent and former councilor Ortega said efforts would be limited high-density development, such as high-rise apartment buildings in the Old Towncreated a housing shortage for the city. He was also scrutinized by some provincial leaders and residents of the neighboring Rio Verde Foothills community when water service was shut off before a deal was later reached.

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