By Lorraine Longhi | The Republic
A Scottsdale mayoral candidate is pushing back against a PR firm that has resurfaced his past opposition to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
David Ortega is one of five candidates running for mayor in Scottsdale. Ortega served one term on the City Council from 2000 to 2004 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2004 against incumbent Mary Manross.
During his last bid for mayor, Ortega opposed a sales tax increase that would have acquired more land for the city’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which now consists of 30,000 acres of pristine desert and 195 miles of hiking trails.