His exit means Hilary Franz will win North Ward seat.

City Council candidate Matt van Winkle withdrew from the North Ward race Thursday, saying that an increasingly busy professional life would have kept him from making the “schedule commitments necessary to participate in various events that are vital to the election process.”

“With an increase in workload and a small business that is growing faster than expected, I have experienced, and will continue to experience, difficulty scheduling for the campaign,” said van Winkle in a press release.

His withdrawal from the race means Spargur Loop resident Hilary Franz will win the seat now held by Councilman Bob Scales, who is not seeking a second term. Of the four council seats up for election this November, two already have been filled.

Along with Franz’ now-secured victory, Vineyard Lane resident Barry Peters is running unopposed for the At Large position now held by Nezam Tooloee.

Van Winkle is in his third year of law school at Seattle University and works for the Office of the Attorney General in the Sexually Violent Predator Unit. He said a trial will consume most of his time in September, when election activities are set to ramp up.

“Luckily there are many future elections and I look forward to the opportunity to serve the people of Bainbridge Island in the future,” he said. “I am confident that Hilary Franz will serve the North Ward well and I thank everyone I have talked with about my campaign for their enthusiasm and support.”