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Card Game Settles Election

Town Council Race Won By Candidate With Highest Card

POSTED: 6:43 am MST June 16, 2009

A tie was broken in the battle over Cave Creek's final Town Council seat by a game of chance, KPHO-TV reported.

A month after the top candidates finished tied with 660 votes apiece, the race was settled by a card game.

According to Arizona state law, if an election is deadlocked the winner must be decided "by lot," also referred to as a game of chance.

Incumbent Thomas McGuire and challenger Adam Trenk had the option to flip a coin, roll dice or draw straws. They opted instead to play a card game. Whoever picked the highest card would win.

McGuire and Trenk gathered around a judge inside Cave Creek's council chambers Monday to draw from a deck of cards and determine who would become the next council member.

McGuire went first and drew a six of hearts. Trenk went next and drew a king, making him the winner.

"In an ideal world we'd have had another run-off, but this is what the state Legislature mandates," Trenk said. "I'm happy with (the) result. A king of hearts is pretty good."

"It's not something I'm going to dwell on; this is how system works," McGuire said. "I'm looking forward to (a) brighter future for this community."

It wasn't the first time an Arizona election has been decided by a game of chance.

Election officials said a state House of Representatives seat was decided by a card game back in the 1990s.

The town of Welton also decided a primary election by having the candidates draw for a low card.

Trenk wasted no time celebrating. His first Town Council meeting was Monday night, when he was officially sworn into office.

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