Cal Cunningham

Cal Cunningham

Prior offices

North Carolina State Senate District 23

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Contact

Campaign website

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Cal Cunningham was a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 23. He left office in 2002.

Cunningham (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent North Carolina. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Elections

2020

See also: United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020

United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Incumbent Thom Tillis defeated Cal Cunningham, Shannon Bray, and Kevin E. Hayes in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thom Tillis (R)	48.7	2,665,598
		Cal Cunningham (D)	46.9	2,569,965
		Shannon Bray (L)	3.1	171,571
		Kevin E. Hayes (Constitution Party)	1.2	67,818

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,474,952
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jeremy Thomas (Independence Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Cal Cunningham defeated Erica Smith, Trevor Fuller, Steve Swenson, and Atul Goel in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cal Cunningham	56.9	717,941
		Erica Smith	34.8	438,969
	Submit photo	Trevor Fuller	3.8	48,168
	Submit photo	Steve Swenson	2.7	33,741
		Atul Goel	1.8	22,226

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,261,045
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steve Williams (D)
• Eva Lee (D)
• Eric Mansfield (D)
• Katherine Bell-Moore (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Incumbent Thom Tillis defeated Paul Wright, Larry Holmquist, and Sharon Hudson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thom Tillis	78.1	608,943
		Paul Wright	7.6	58,908
		Larry Holmquist	7.4	57,356
		Sharon Hudson	7.0	54,651

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 779,858
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Sandy Smith (R)
• Garland Tucker III (R)

Constitution primary election

The Constitution primary election was canceled. Kevin E. Hayes advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Cal Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Cunningham’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Here are Cal’s priorities as North Carolina’s next Senator. As he travels the state meeting with North Carolinians, Cal will seek input and feedback on the issues that matter most to folks across the state, which will help guide his vision for moving our state forward. Lower Cost, Accessible Health Care One of the most frequent issues Cal hears about as he travels across the state is the urgent need to improve access and bring down the cost of health care for families – and that is exactly what he will fight for in the U.S. Senate. North Carolinians continue to struggle with the rising cost of premiums, co-pays, and prescription drugs, and there are still more than 1 million people in our state without any coverage at all. Cal knows our health care system isn’t perfect and there are real issues Congress needs to work together to fix. In the Senate, Cal will fight to strengthen and extend coverage under the Affordable Care Act, expand Medicaid in North Carolina, create a public health insurance option, support rural hospitals, address doctor shortages, support life-saving research to prevent and treat diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS, and ensure no one loses their employer-sponsored coverage who wants to keep it. Cal will also work to lower the cost of prescription drugs through efforts like allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. Cal will oppose any effort in Washington to cut Medicare benefits, and he will stand up against the politicians and special interests that want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, gut protections for people who have a pre-existing medical condition, and allow big insurance companies to impose what the AARP calls an “age tax” on older North Carolinians that could cost them thousands of dollars more. In the Senate, Cal will also do everything he can to stop the dangerous lawsuit pushed forward by Washington Republicans that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act and its protections. Cal has been endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare for his commitment to protecting these vital programs. Economic Opportunity for All Cal believes that the only economy that truly works is an economy that generates opportunities for everyone. Right now, though, the economy is steeply tilted in favor of the wealthy few and against regular families struggling to keep up with the rising cost of college, housing, and medical care and still make ends meet. Growing income and wealth inequality in our country is being fueled by the recent tax law that overwhelmingly benefits the largest corporations and the ultra-wealthy while leaving middle-class and poor families further behind and leaving us with a pile of debt for future generations. Cal will fight for a more equitable economy and living wage in every community by standing with workers to support efforts to promote good-paying full-time jobs with benefits, rein in the cost of higher education and health care, defend workplace protections, and finally raise the minimum wage. And at a time when women in North Carolina and across the country still don’t earn equal pay for equal work, Cal will support efforts to close the wage gap and ensure paycheck fairness for all women. Agriculture is one of the most important parts of North Carolina’s economy, and Cal will work in the Senate to defend North Carolina’s farming families against reckless tariffs and revitalize rural communities through economic development and investments in priorities like expanding access to rural broadband. Cal recognizes that too many communities across North Carolina have seen generations of economic inequality due to institutionalized racial discrimination and the resulting disparities in inter-generational wealth. He believes we need innovative policies that break down historical barriers and encourage capital investment in communities of color and minority-owned businesses to reverse the legacy of economic injustice. Cal also believes we need to make investments in our nation’s infrastructure, in the research and development that drives innovation, in North Carolina’s growing technology and biotechnology sectors, and in our human capital by supporting strong public education. Cal has been endorsed by a number of professional organizations that share his commitment to growing the middle class including: NC State AFL-CIO, Communications Workers Of America Local 3611, International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers & Carolinas Electrical Workers Association, the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina, Teamsters Local 391, and UNITE HERE Local 23. Improving Education The quality of our children’s education shouldn’t depend on where they grow up, their family circumstances, their race, their wealth, or a disability, and Cal believes that public education—and the investments we make in our children through schools—should be an engine of opportunity for all North Carolinians. Cal will fight to pay teachers what they deserve, to develop, respect, and strengthen the profession, and to recruit, train, and retain the best educators for our students. This means doing more to make sure the profession is reflective of the diversity of the students and families it serves, with particular emphasis on recruiting African American and Latinx people into the profession. Cal also knows how critical it is that our students have the support they need to pursue their dreams, and Cal supports a national strategy to invest in opportunity through public schools including by fully funding Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to provide schools the resources they need to succeed and close significant funding gaps between districts. In addition, rural districts need stable and reliable funding to deliver supplemental support services to meet their special needs. Cal also supports investment in specialized instructional support personnel — the counselors, psychologists, and other professionals—who address children’s unique academic and developmental needs, so every child can thrive in school. Cal is a longtime supporter of early childhood education, including having voted in the state Senate to start what is now North Carolina Pre-K, and is committed to investment in our children through Head Start and other early childhood programs that address the needs of the whole child. To build capacity to deliver early childhood education, we need to develop a more robust pipeline of early childhood educators. The opportunity to pursue higher education should be available to anyone who seeks it and not just a privilege for those who can afford it. In the Senate, Cal will lead the fight to lower the cost of college, expand access to community college and technical training, and reduce the burden of student loan debt. North Carolina also has a proud tradition of strong public universities and our Historically Black Colleges and Universities are a critical part of our higher education system. Cal will work to ensure the federal government increases investment and support for these important institutions. Cal is also proud of the policy work his wife Elizabeth has done to advance high-quality public education in North Carolina. He trusts the education of his own two children to the public schools of North Carolina and wants all of North Carolina’s children to experience the best our state’s public schools have to offer. Cal is proud to have the endorsement of the North Carolina Association of Educators in his campaign. Taking on Climate Change & Protecting North Carolina’s Environment North Carolina has seen the effects of climate change firsthand through the historic storms and flooding that have ravaged our state — which is why Cal knows this is one of the most urgent issues facing us. He believes that in order to combat this crisis, we need to invest in a clean energy economy that will create good-paying jobs, reduce carbon pollution, and make North Carolina a leader. Solar energy is already spreading across this state, providing good-paying jobs for our workers and economic investment in rural areas. North Carolina has the research facilities to design the next generation solar panels and the manufacturing base to lead on solar energy and Cal intends to help that happen. North Carolina has also seen coal ash spills, drinking water tainted by GenX, and rapid loss of open space, and Cal believes we need to do more to protect North Carolina’s environment and natural resources. As a State Senator, Cal helped pass landmark clean air legislation that reduced harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants by over 80%, and key land preservation legislation. In the private sector, Cal represented clients exposed to environmental hazards in the workplace and worked for an award-winning environmental company in Raleigh. Cal is proud to have been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club for his strong commitment to fighting climate change and building a clean energy economy. Protecting Women’s Health & Rights Cal believes that a woman’s choice is a woman’s right. That’s why he will always defend Roe v. Wade against partisan attacks and knows there is no place for a politician in a conversation between a woman and her doctor. Cal believes in ensuring women have access to reproductive care, and he is strongly opposed to partisan efforts in Washington to attack and defund Planned Parenthood, which provides health care services to thousands of North Carolinians. Cal is proud to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL for his commitment to protecting women’s health care. Preventing Gun Violence As an Army veteran who has been trained to use a firearm, Cal understands the responsibility that comes with carrying a weapon. He also knows, as the father of two, the fear that parents experience when they drop their kids off at school and wonder if they will come home safe. Cal believes there are commonsense steps we can take to protect our communities from gun violence while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens. Cal will work to keep our kids safe and to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, criminals, and terrorists by supporting efforts to expand background checks, ban the sale of high-capacity magazines, pass extreme risk laws, and fund gun violence research on an issue that has become a public health crisis. He is also proud of his work on Governor Cooper’s Crime Commission creating recommendations to curb the risk of school shootings. Cal has been endorsed by Brady and Giffords, two groups leading the fight to prevent gun violence. Fixing Our Broken Immigration System As an Army veteran, Cal takes the safety and security of North Carolinians seriously, including border security. He also knows we can keep America safe without compromising America’s values to be a leader to the world when it comes to freedom and liberty. Cal believes we must pass comprehensive immigration reform that fixes our broken system and modernizes it for the economy of today, grows North Carolina’s economy, protects DREAMers, and provides a fair pathway to citizenship. Instead of separating families and caging children, we should be investing in the necessary technology and trained staff to secure our borders. What we need are leaders with the courage to reject the politics of fear and work across party lines to pass comprehensive reform. Reforming Broken Washington Cal believes that political corruption in Washington is a fundamental barrier to progress for our state and country. As North Carolina’s next Senator, Cal will fight for campaign finance reform, fair maps, independent redistricting, and a political system that empowers voters to make their voices heard. Cal has pledged not to accept any corporate PAC money, and he supports overturning the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision that has allowed unlimited dark money to pour into our elections. He also believes the Senate should reform the filibuster rule that is too often abused by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to promote gridlock and stop votes on important legislation that would help North Carolina’s hardworking families. Cal has personally pledged never to become a lobbyist after serving in the Senate and believes we need to end that revolving door. Cal is proud to have been endorsed by End Citizens United and the Voter Protection Project because of his strong support for fixing our democracy and getting big money out of politics. Respecting Our Veterans Cal believes we owe our men and women in uniform, and their families, a debt that can never fully be repaid, and there can be no excuses when it comes to fighting for their well-being, both on and off the battlefield. Cal is an Army veteran who has served three active duty tours, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and still serves in the Army Reserves. Looking out for North Carolina’s veterans and military families is personal to him. Military service is also part of North Carolina’s DNA, and our leaders in Washington should be unwavering in their support of our service members and military families. To Cal, that means fighting for military project funding in North Carolina, working to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs runs efficiently and leaves no veteran behind, supporting our troops who are wrestling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in order to lower the suicide rate among those who served, and expanding educational and job opportunities for veterans when they return to civilian life. In particular, the VA needs additional resources to support the growing ranks of women who serve, including to address incidences of domestic and sexual assault. Cal is proud to be endorsed by VoteVets and Serve America PAC, two groups committed to electing more veterans to elected services. Protecting and Expanding Voting Rights The right for citizens to make their voices heard at the ballot box is fundamental to our democracy, and Cal will work to protect and expand the right to vote so that all eligible, law-abiding citizens can participate in our elections. Cal supports efforts to expand access to voting and prevent voter suppression, like restoring the Voting Rights Act, extending early voting, and making it easier to register to vote by enacting reforms like automatic voter registration and making Election Day a federal holiday. He will also oppose efforts that restrict the right to vote, like unnecessarily purging voters from the rolls. Cal is endorsed by the Voter Protection Project because of his commitment to making sure every eligible North Carolinian has the right to cast a ballot. Equal Rights Cal believes that the story of North Carolina belongs to all of us. The story of North Carolina is still being written, and we must make the next chapter as one that fairly includes everyone, no matter who they are, who they love, or the color of their skin. For Cal, that means standing with the LGBTQI community and communities of color in the fight against regressive policies. Cal supports advancing the long-overdue passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), passing the Equality Act to protect LGBTQI North Carolinians from discrimination in housing and the workplace, reforming our criminal justice system, and restoring the Voting Rights Act so that our elected representatives reflect the will of the people. Cal also believes we need vigorous enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws to tear down the vestiges of discrimination and open the doors of opportunity to all North Carolinians. Cal is proud to be endorsed by Equality NC and the Human Rights Campaign. Reforming our Criminal Justice System Cal is committed to criminal justice reform. More than 2 million Americans are in prison and another 5 million are in jail or on parole on any given day. That exacts a tremendous social and economic cost from this country, which is why Cal believes we should revisit mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders. Because prisons and jails are not a substitute for mental health and substance abuse services, Cal is in favor of refocusing efforts on preventing violent crime instead of locking up people who, more than anything, need mental health or addiction treatment. Cal draws inspiration from the recommendations in the Task Force on Twenty-First Century Policing for ways to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves. We should also work to reduce recidivism by investing in programs and supports that give people who have paid their debt to society the opportunity to re-enter their communities with dignity and contribute to their families and neighborhoods. Cal also supports innovations in restorative justice, curbing the abuse of cash bail, eliminating for-profit prisons, and allowing states to develop their own regulation and taxation of cannabis, while putting resources into public health and substance abuse treatment. As a former Army prosecutor who litigated cases of sexual assault and as a former Vice Chairman of Governor Cooper’s Crime Commission, Cal understands that too often, our justice system has failed many North Carolinians, especially young people of color and those with limited means. Cal is proud of his work on the Governor’s Crime Commission, where he served as chair of the Task Force to Improve Staffing and Security in North Carolina’s Prisons. He also helped lead the Commission’s work to address the “school-to-prison pipeline” and advocated for better funding and coordination of multi-disciplinary programs to support at-risk youth. Keeping Our Country Safe Cal believes there is nothing more important to ensuring the safety of our nation than smart diplomacy and a forward-thinking foreign policy strategy that ensures we’re working with our global allies and staying tough on our adversaries like North Korea, Iran and Russia. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, Cal volunteered to join the U.S. Army Reserve and has since served three active duty tours, including overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, in part for groundbreaking work prosecuting contractors for criminal misconduct, and the last three years he has trained special operations forces at Fort Bragg. As someone who served and who comes from a long line of veterans, he understands the consequences that a reckless foreign policy can have on our military personnel and their families. Whether it’s investing in securing our electric grid, bolstering cybersecurity, or defending our elections against foreign interference, Cal believes we need a strong national defense that is focused on what we need to do to protect ourselves in the 21st century. As North Carolina’s next Senator, Cal will work to invest in the training and professional development of our service members who keep us safe and secure around the world, and he will never allow military project funding that benefits troops and their families to be raided by politicians in Washington for partisan purposes. Cal is proud to be endorsed by foreign policy groups like the Foreign Policy for American Action Network.	”
—Cal Cunningham’s campaign website (2020)

Noteworthy events

Cunningham admits to inappropriate texts sent

On October 2, 2020, Cunningham admitted to sending inappropriate sexual texts to Arlene Guzman Todd, a woman who was not his wife. The text messages were originally published on October 1 of the same year by National File.

Cunningham said in a statement: "I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry. The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family’s privacy be respected in this personal matter."

See also

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

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North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Addison McDowell (R)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Mark Harris (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Pat Harrigan (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Brad Knott (R)

District 14

Timothy Moore (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (4)