Chapel Hill Town Councilman Lee Storrow hears the calls for him to stay out of this fall’s race for re-election following last month’s arrest for driving while impaired. He chooses not to heed them however.
In an exclusive interview Tuesday with the Indy, Storrow said he will continue his campaign, less than a week after pleading guilty to DWI in an Orange County courtroom. Police said Storrow registered a BAC of .16, twice the legal limit, after he was stopped by police in the early morning hours of Aug. 26. Storrow was stopped for driving 63 mph in a 35-mph-zone on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill.
“Ours is a community that believes in second chances,” Storrow said. “It’s important that we take those second chances seriously. I’m doing that.”
Storrow first won a seat on the Town Council in 2011 as a 22-year-old, the youngest person on the council. Today, he’s one of nine candidates running for four seats.
Since his arrest, Storrow says he has not drank any alcohol. He’s also entered a support group for alcohol abuse. “This was the worst decision I have ever made in my life,” he said. “It is my personal obligation that I be transparent about what I’m learning.”
Storrow added that he understands why many of his past supporters would not vote for him anymore.
“But campaign aren’t just about winning. They’re about giving the community an opportunity to have a conversation about leadership and issues we care about.”
Early voting for this fall’s municipal races begins Oct. 22. Look for our picks in this year’s races in the Indy‘s Sept. 23 endorsement issue.
