BY LINDA BENTLEY | JANUARY 26, 2011
Trenk withdraws from council race
CAVE CREEK – Rumors had been swirling over the past couple of weeks indicating Councilman Adam Trenk was planning to resign from council and/or withdraw his candidacy from the upcoming election.
As Mayor Vincent Francia once noted, there’s always seems to be at least a smidgen of truth behind a rumor.
That proved to be true in this case as well.
On Tuesday morning, Trenk sent a short note to Town Clerk Carrie Dyrek stating, “I write to you today to formally inform you that I would like to withdraw my name from the race for election/reelection to the town council at this time.
“Please notify the county elections department and take whatever necessary measures must be taken to effectuate this change in my status as a candidate.”
Trenk thanked Dyrek for her continued commitment to the town and signified he would complete the rest of his term.
A voice message left for Trenk asking why he was withdrawing his candidacy wasn’t immediately returned.
Meanwhile, Dyrek contacted Maricopa County Elections Department, only to learn it is not only too late to have Trenk’s name removed from the ballot but it is also too late to print an insert declaring his withdrawal from the race.
However, with an all-mail election, Dyrek predicts there will be more candidates in the May runoff election then prior years.
If Trenk is relegated to the runoff election, his name can then be removed from the ballot.
However, if he’s elected in the March primary by more than 50 percent of the ballots cast, although a less likely scenario, Dyrek said she is still researching what that process entails.
After all, she said Trenk entered office with fanfare by a drawing of lots and there remains the possibility he could exit under equally unusual circumstances.
Dyrek just wants to be prepared for whatever scenario is presented.
