[1] Torrey was first elected to public office at the age of 21, when he won a seat on the Waldport, Oregon, city council.
[6] On June 18, 1999, Eugene police used tear gas on an anti-capitalist protest, which affected over 200 people and arrested 20 demonstrators.
[7] Citizens claimed that the mayor had directed police to needlessly harass individuals in black clothing.
[citation needed] Torrey's decision as a former two-term mayor to challenge a first term was described as an "unprecedented contest" in Eugene politics.
A majority of the Directors then appointed him to a newly vacated seat, in the face of opposition from the teachers' union and local community groups.