Lisa Borowsky projected to win Scottsdale mayor race; David Ortega concedes

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Incumbent Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has conceded the election to challenger Lisa Borowsky, who the Associated Press is projecting to win the race.

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

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

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

She says the ideals of "fiscal conservatism" helped the city recover from the Great Recession .

While both ran on a nonpartisan campaign, Ortega was endorsed by current and former conservative leaders including Ortega's predecessor Jim Lane, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and former state attorney general Mark Brnovich.

Her top campaign priorities included rejecting density-focused development and reining in what she described as "wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars." Her campaign website also details seven key issues and focuses on the hospitality industry, prioritizing public safety and "vision-based planning."

Running up to the election, critics of independent and one-time councilman Ortega said efforts to limit high-density development, such as tall apartment buildings in Old Town , created a housing crunch for the city. He was also scrutinized by some county leaders and residents of the neighboring Rio Verde Foothills community when its water supply was shut off before a deal was later reached.