Eastern NC lawmaker arrested and charged with driving while impaired in Raleigh
North Carolina Sen. Norman Sanderson was arrested and charged with driving while impaired on Saturday evening, according to Wake County records.
Sanderson, 74, was also charged with having an open container of alcohol and failing to obey a traffic officer, the arrest warrant shows.
The State Highway Patrol stopped Sanderson at about 7:50 p.m. for “failing to follow traffic direction” on Trinity Road at Edwards Mill Road, the patrol’s First Sgt. Christopher Knox said in an email. That’s near the N.C. State Fairgrounds.
Sanderson showed “signs of impairment,” Knox said. After a sobriety test, the trooper concluded he had been drinking and arrested him. At the Wake County jail, he took a breath alcohol test that showed a 0.16 blood alcohol level.
Sanderson was released at 10:42 p.m., court records show. He has unsecured bail of $2,000, meaning he did not have to pay cash to be released.
“Last night, I made a regrettable mistake, and I take responsibility for my actions,” the Arapahoe Republican said in a statement provided to The News & Observer from Senate Republican Caucus spokesperson Lauren Horsch.
“I want to apologize to my constituents, my colleagues, and my family for letting them down. I commend the State Highway Patrol and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism during the incident,” Sanderson said.
On Monday, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein said that the “charges are serious and exceptionally concerning.”
Stein did not, however, call for further action.
“We need to let the legal process play out,” Stein told reporters.
Sanderson has also received citations for unsafe tires, a federal vehicle inspection violation and a “motor vehicle log book” violation in 2010, court records show.
The lawmaker represents part of eight Eastern North Carolina counties, including Carteret, Chowan and Pamlico.
Sanderson is co-chair of the Senate Agriculture, Energy and Environment Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources.
This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 12:19 PM.
