A candidate has dropped out of the race for the Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools Board of Education after questions surrounding two donations to the campaign for President Donald Trump.

Louis Tortora announced his decision to drop out of the race on his campaign and personal Facebook pages over the weekend.

“Unfortunately, some in our district feel that donating to a political candidate that doesn’t align with their views is akin to a scandal,” Tortora wrote, “and the negative conversation surrounding this is distracting all of us from the kids I aim to serve.”

Tortora did attempt to distance himself from the president.

“To be clear: I have no political affiliation with President Trump, and I do not personally support his policies, the way he has handled public education or his treatment of people.”

A search of Tortora’s name on opensecrets.org, which is a product of the Center for Responsive Politics, shows two donations – $250 each – going to Trump from Louis Tortora with a Chapel Hill address and 27517 zip code. The first was in September 2016 and a second in September 2018.

Tortora’s address on his candidate filing paperwork does list his address in the 27517 zip code.

North Carolina voting records show that Tortora has voted in the general election in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 as well as the 2015 municipal election. He also voted in the Democratic primary leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Tortora is also registered as a Democrat, according to state documents.

“I have been relentless in my dedication to improving our school system for the past five year[s],” Tortora wrote. “However, we live in a small community, and these negative attacks take their toll not just on me, but on my family.”

Tortora dropping out of the race comes after some community members directly asked Tortora on Facebook whether he donated money to the Trump campaign. He did not provide a direct response to those inquiries.

“I love our community and I care deeply about giving every kid a strong education foundation,” Tortora wrote. “As a parent, I will continue to practice tolerance, compassion and respect for the different life experiences of others, and I hope you will join me in setting that example for our community and our kids.”

Tortora is the second candidate to drop out of the race for school board. Carmen Huerta-Bapat dropped out of the race earlier this year due to medical concerns.

Five candidates remain for the four seats up for election to the CHCCS board this fall. Early voting is scheduled to start October 16 and Election Day is November 5.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that both donations were in the lead up to the 2016 election. The donations came in September 2016 and September 2018. The story was changed to correct that error.

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