'They are going to have to drag me out of here' Arlington mayor says

By KATU Web Staff Published: Jan 19, 2008 at 12:39 AM PST Last Updated: Jan 19, 2008 at 6:23 PM PST
'They are going to have to drag me out of here' Arlington mayor says »Play Video
Carmen Gronquist, an Oregon mayor who garnered national attention over racy photos of herself, is shown in this image from a television interview on "20/20."

ARLINGTON, Ore. - The eastern Oregon mayor at the center of a controversy over her racy MySpace page photos broke her silence Friday night, telling a national viewing audience she has no intention of resigning.

"I've heard 'Don't you quit now. Don't you step down,' " Mayor Carmen Gronquist said during an interview aired on ABC's "20/20." "And I've said, 'I'm not stepping down. They are going to have to drag me out of here.' "

Some residents have called for her ouster after photos surfaced of her in what some believe are provocative poses, including one taken in front of the town's fire engines in nothing but lingerie.

But Gronquist told ABC's Chris Connelly the photos were taken in August of 2004 long before she had even thought of becoming mayor. She said she and a friend - who was a volunteer firefighter - had just returned from the beach and decided to stop in at the fire station and take pictures. They had the fire chief's permission, she said.

At some point, her friend suggested she pose on a fire engine.

"They didn't mean to be provocative," she said of the photos. "They really meant to show at the time the shape that I was in."

Gronquist said she had thought about entering a Sports Illustrated contest about fitness and women - but never sent in the photos.

"Because I didn't think they were good enough," she said.

Later, she said, a relative created a MySpace page for her, hoping it might get the single mom some dates.

Gronquist said she was not Internet savvy, and a family member posted all the photos of her - including the racy ones.

Then a few weeks ago, she got a call while on vacation saying people were coming to City Hall and talking about her MySpace page. She apologized to members of the City Council. But it didn't end there. Someone made copies of the photos and handed them out around town, she said.

That led to media attention and the formal call for her resignation from some residents at a City Council meeting last week.

"I had no clue that it would cause such a negative reaction or upset my community," she said, calling the decision by someone to hand out the photos "cruel." "I will be honest, I should have had more education on the Myspace (sic), and I didn't." 

Gronquist's MySpace page has since been blocked to all but her friends.

Despite all the controversy, Gronquist said she plans to serve out her term, which ends in January 2009.

Some residents told "20/20" the whole issue has given the town negative publicity that it doesn't deserve. Others have told her not to give up.

As for the photos of her that have circulated around the Internet, she said she might sell one as a full-size poster and give the proceeds to charity.