Despite his Thursday DUI arrest, Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe will not drop out of the mayoral race.
“Over the next few days and weeks, I will continue to perform my duties as Mayor and work hard as a candidate for re-election,” he said in a statement released this afternoon.
Lowe is due to run off against Ed Braddy on April 16.
“I regret that my actions Thursday morning have disappointed so many friends, supporters, and citizens of Gainesville,” he said. “I hope that in the future I will again prove worthy of the public's trust and confidence.”
In the statement, Lowe said he recognized the situation was a legal and personal issue.
“After the events of the past 24 hours, I have determined that the best course of action, both as an elected official and personally, is to accept responsibility for my actions in getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after having consumed alcohol, regardless of blood alcohol level,” he said in a statement released this afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Lowe at 5:26 a.m. at the scene of a crash, according to the arrest report. When FHP trooper Javon Murphy arrived, he reported Lowe’s breath smelled like alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and he had trouble keeping his balance.
He performed poorly during a field sobriety test, according to the report. Lowe took a breath test when he arrived at the Alachua County Jail. The test showed his blood alcohol content levels were .061 and .069. But Murphy concluded Lowe’s BAC was above .08 at the time of the crash, according to the report.
“I will accept the consequences of my actions and face the sanctions that are deemed appropriate by the State Attorney and/or the Court,” he said. “I will submit to an alcohol abuse evaluation and abide by any recommendations necessary to assure both myself and the public that this type of conduct does not recur.”
Lowe was released from jail at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday on his own recognizance.
