Matt Hughes, a Town of Hillsborough commissioner and a leader in North Carolina’s Democratic Party, was recently arrested by Chapel Hill Police for driving while impaired.

Records from the local police department reflect an incident during the early morning hours of Thursday, December 29. Hughes was seen at 1670 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Walgreens pharmacy off the popular road, at 3:18 a.m.

Hughes was released on a written promise to appear after making his visit to a county magistrate. His first court appearance on the misdemeanor charge is Thursday, January 12.

In a statement to Chapelboro, Hughes shared:

“The other day I was cited for a DWI. It was wrong and I’m not proud about it. I made a decision to drive that I shouldn’t have. Like a lot of people I turned to alcohol during the pandemic to cope with stress. And the events leading up to a loved one going into the ICU were certainly stressful, but that is no excuse to use alcohol and then to operate a motor vehicle. By deciding to drive when I shouldn’t have I have let down my family, my friends, and my community. I am sorry and extremely remorseful for the pain and disappointment I’ve caused and ask for forgiveness. I have learned a valuable lesson and will repay my debt to the community.”

Hughes, who serves as mayor pro tem for the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, is also the second vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. A Hillsborough resident, the 32-year-old previously served as the president of the county’s Democratic Party and ran unsuccessfully for the state’s House of Representatives in 2022.

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