Cal Cunningham

Last updated

In 2010, Cunningham ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by Richard Burr. [23] [24] [25] Retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark endorsed Cunningham, saying that he would be "the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Senate", as did the state's largest organization of teachers, the North Carolina Association of Educators. [26] [27] He finished second in the primary, but since no candidate received 40% of the vote, he advanced to a runoff with the first-place finisher, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who ultimately won the nomination with 60% of the vote. [28]

2020 campaign

Cunningham originally declared his candidacy for lieutenant governor of North Carolina, [29] [30] but he withdrew in June 2019 to run for the United States Senate seat held by Thom Tillis instead. [31] During the primary, a Republican-allied Super PAC spent $3 million on ads attacking Cunningham and supporting left-wing state Senator Erica Smith in order to "amplify fault lines in the Democratic party." [32] [33] [34] On March 3, 2020, Cunningham won the Democratic primary with 57% of the vote. [35]

Cunningham stated his support of the Affordable Care Act and called for the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina, as well as a public health insurance option. [36] [37] He stated his opposition to the Green New Deal and his support for significant investment in green jobs and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. [32]

In July 2020, incumbent Republican Thom Tillis claimed Cunningham had been "silent" on the issue of defunding the police, saying, "I assume his silence is consent." Cunningham had published an op-ed a month earlier stating his opposition to defunding the police, instead advocating police reform, including policies that "counsel de-escalation, prohibit chokeholds, limit no-knock warrants, and specifically address the use of deadly force." [38] [39]

Cunningham narrowly led Tillis in the polls throughout much of the campaign. [40]

On October 3, the New York Times wrote that the race had fallen into "utter mayhem" within a period of a few hours after Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 and Cunningham admitted to exchanging sexual text messages with a woman who was not his wife, damaging an image that leaned heavily on his character and military service. Days later, the woman, Arlene Guzman Todd, stated that she had a consensual physical relationship with Cunningham in 2020. [41] The Army Reserve started an investigation into Cunningham. [42] Jeremy Todd, the husband of the woman who stated that she had had an affair with Cunningham, himself an Army veteran, called on Cunningham to drop out of the Senate race. [43] Asked repeatedly whether he had had other extramarital affairs, Cunningham declined to answer. [44] [45] [46] [47]

Following the disclosure of the texts and his response, Cunningham "assumed a position of complete radio silence, withdrawing from the campaign trail [save] for a last-minute appearance in Charlotte with the rapper Common". [48] In late October, Cunningham's polling lead eroded. [49]

Tillis narrowly defeated Cunningham, 48.7–46.9%, on Election Day. [50] On November 10, 2020, a week after Election Day, Cunningham called Tillis to concede the race. [51]

Honors and awards

For his service in Iraq, Cunningham was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service as a lead investigator examining contractors. [52] [53] In 2009, he received the General Douglas MacArthur Award for Leadership. [54] [55]

Cunningham is a recipient of a Jaycees' Distinguished Service Award. [56]

In 2007, Cunningham was selected for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship. [57]

Personal life

Cunningham and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children. [58] [59] As of September 2020, he was an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church. [60]

In October 2020, it was reported that Cunningham had exchanged sexually suggestive messages with a married woman who was not his wife. Cunningham confirmed the texts were authentic and apologized for his behavior. [59] [58] The woman, Arlene Guzman Todd, stated that she had a consensual physical relationship with Cunningham in 2020. [61] [62] The Army Reserve started an investigation into Cunningham. [63]

Electoral history

North Carolina Senate election

2000

Cal Cunningham
James "Cal" Cunningham (cropped).jpg
Cunningham in 2019
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 23rd district
In office
January 1, 2001 January 1, 2003
North Carolina Senate 23rd District, 2000 General Election [64]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Cal Cunningham 27,726 53.37%
Republican John Scott Keadle23,09544.45%
Libertarian Lawrence James Clark1,1312.18%
Total votes51,952 100
Democratic hold

United States Senate elections

2010

2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Democratic primary [65]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Elaine Marshall 154,605 36.35%
Democratic Cal Cunningham115,85127.24%
Democratic Ken Lewis72,51017.05%
Democratic Marcus W. Williams35,9848.46%
Democratic Susan Harris29,7386.99%
Democratic Ann Worthy16,6553.92%
Total votes425,343 100

Since no candidate received 40% of the vote in the primary, state law allowed a runoff election if requested by the second-place finisher. Cunningham requested such a runoff. [66]

2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Democratic primary runoff [67]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Elaine Marshall 95,390 59.96%
Democratic Cal Cunningham63,69140.04%
Total votes159,081 100

2020

2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Democratic primary [68]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Cal Cunningham 713,234 57.00%
Democratic Erica D. Smith 434,92134.76%
Democratic Trevor M. Fuller47,6323.81%
Democratic Steve Swenson33,4812.68%
Democratic Atul Goel22,0161.76%
Total votes1,251,284 100
2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina [69]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Thom Tillis (incumbent) 2,665,598 48.69% −0.13%
Democratic Cal Cunningham2,569,96546.94%−0.32%
Libertarian Shannon Bray171,5713.13%−0.61%
Constitution Kevin E. Hayes67,8181.24%N/A
Total votes5,474,952 100
Republican hold

References

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  5. Full text of "S. 885, to modify congressional restrictions on gifts : hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, on S. 885 ... July 19, 1993". U.S. Government Printing Office. 1993. ISBN   9780160415029 . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
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  52. Ignasiak, Darrick (January 22, 2009). "Ex-state senator, Lexington native gets Bronze Star" . McClatchy – Tribune Business News. ProQuest   465315328. Cunningham said he received the medal for his efforts with the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute contractors who were serving with and accompanying the armed forces. He served as lead investigator in a case that turned into the first court-martial of a contractor since 1968. His work resulted in a comprehensive system for ensuring contractors are held responsible for crimes committed while in Iraq.
  53. Rudin, Ken (March 30, 2010). "Is N.C. Sen. Burr (R) Vulnerable? Depends On Who You Ask". NPR.org. Retrieved January 8, 2021. But the favorite, at least among some Democrats in Washington, seems to be Cal Cunningham, an attorney and former one-term state senator who served in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from North Carolina
(Class 2)

2020
Most recent