Council member Storrow bounces back from DWI

Despite being arrested and charged with a DWI in August, Chapel Hill Town Council member Lee Storrow is still running for re-election, and his numbers in a public poll have not been significantly affected for the worse.

Storrow is currently ranked No. 4 in the poll, with 13 percent of voters saying he is their first or second choice for one of the four open spots on the Town Council. There are nine candidates running for the council.

Storrow credits his continued support to residents who continue to be attentive to his recovery.

“They’ve seen I’ve done some reflection,” he said. “I’ve gotten back in the spirit of the campaign.”

On Aug. 26, Storrow was arrested for driving while intoxicated after originally being pulled over for speeding on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He had a blood alcohol concentration of .16, which is twice the legal limit in North Carolina. Storrow pleaded guilty to DWI charges on Sept. 3.

Storrow apologized to his constituents through a public interview and an op-ed in The (Raleigh) News & Observer in an effort to show the public his regret for the incident.

Storrow said he walked house to house to gauge how constituents felt about his recent charges. He recalled that one Chapel Hill resident said, “When incidents like this happen, politicians blame everyone but themselves, but you didn’t do that.”

Additionally, Storrow said none of the people coming to his open office hours have sought to discuss his DWI with him.

Storrow commends his fellow running mates for their reaction to the event. He said they haven’t blamed him about the trouble and instead have focused on the issues important to the upcoming election.

Rosemary Waldorf, former Mayor of Chapel Hill and supporter of Lee Storrow, said she believes Storrow’s outreach has made up for his actions.

“I think he handled it in a responsible way,” Waldorf said. “He did not make any excuses.”

Waldorf said she still plans to vote for Storrow in the upcoming November election and hopes the arrest won’t prevent Chapel Hill residents from doing the same.

“He reaches out to many different kinds of people,” she said.

Chapel Hill resident and UNC graduate student Karthik Prakhya said he was not previously aware of Storrow’s DWI arrest, but it concerned him.

“I’d be troubled,” Prakhya said about having a Town Council member with a DWI charge on his record.

However, Prakhya said Storrow’s apologies helped change his attitude toward Storrow.

“(His apology) definitely shows character,” he said.

Storrow said his arrest was a moment for personal reflection, but he wants to move forward with his campaign.

“I’m focused on what else I’ve done,” he said.

@hodnettkierancity@dailytarheel.com