Cal Cunningham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cal Cunningham
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Cunningham in 2019
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| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 23rd district |
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| In office January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Phillips Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Stan Bingham (Redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Calvin Cunningham III
August 6, 1973 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Vanderbilt University University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD) London School of Economics (MSc) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 2002–present |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Medal |
James Calvin Cunningham III (born August 6, 1973) is an American lawyer, politician, and military officer. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He also holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. Cunningham served as a North Carolina state senator from 2001 to 2003. He later ran for the United States Senate in 2010 and again in 2020. In 2020, he was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. He lost that election to the current Republican senator, Thom Tillis.
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Cal Cunningham's Early Life and School
Cal Cunningham was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He grew up in Lexington, North Carolina. He first went to Vanderbilt University. Later, he transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1996. His studies focused on political science and philosophy. In 1993, Cunningham also interned for a senator in Washington, D.C.
He continued his education by earning two more degrees. He received a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics. He also earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Cal Cunningham's Career Path
Serving in the U.S. Army Reserve
In 2002, Cunningham joined the United States Army Reserve. He became part of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, which is the legal branch of the Army. He completed special training, including Airborne School.
From 2007 to 2008, Cunningham was sent to Iraq. He worked as a senior legal advisor for the military forces there. In 2011, he was assigned to work with a special operations team in Afghanistan.
Time as a State Senator
In November 2000, Cunningham was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly. He represented the 23rd Senate district. This district included parts of Davidson, Rowan, and Iredell Counties. When he was elected, he was the youngest lawmaker in North Carolina.
Cunningham chose not to run for reelection after his district changed. The district was split into three new areas. These new areas tended to vote for Republican candidates.
After Being a State Senator
After his time as a state senator, Cunningham worked as a lawyer. He worked at two different law firms.
Since 2003, Cunningham has served on the Board of Trustees for Davidson County Community College. He was appointed to this role by the Governor. He also served on the North Carolina Banking Commission. He was also a vice chair of the Governor's Crime Commission.
In 2013, Cunningham joined WasteZero, an environmental services company. This company helps cities reduce waste. Cunningham worked as a vice president and general counsel for the company. He left WasteZero in March 2020 but continued to work for them as a contractor.
Running for U.S. Senate
First Run for Senate (2010)
In 2010, Cal Cunningham decided to run for the U.S. Senate. The seat was held by Senator Richard Burr. A well-known military general, Wesley Clark, supported Cunningham. He said Cunningham would be the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Senate. The largest teachers' group in North Carolina also supported him.
Cunningham finished second in the primary election. Because no candidate received 40% of the votes, he went to a runoff election. He ran against North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. Marshall won the runoff and the nomination.
Second Run for Senate (2020)
Cunningham first planned to run for lieutenant governor in 2020. However, in June 2019, he changed his mind. He decided to run for the United States Senate instead. The seat was held by Senator Thom Tillis.
During the primary election, Cunningham won the Democratic nomination. He received 57% of the votes on March 3, 2020.
Cunningham supported the Affordable Care Act. He also wanted to expand Medicaid in North Carolina. He supported a public health insurance option. He stated that he did not support the Green New Deal. However, he did support investing in green jobs. He also wanted to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
On Election Day, Senator Tillis defeated Cunningham. Tillis received 48.7% of the votes, while Cunningham received 47%. A week after the election, Cunningham called Tillis to accept the results.
Awards and Recognitions
For his service in Iraq, Cunningham received the Bronze Star Medal. This award is given for brave or outstanding service. In 2009, he also received the General Douglas MacArthur Award for Leadership.
Cunningham has also received a Distinguished Service Award from the Jaycees. In 2007, he was chosen for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship.
About Cal Cunningham's Family
Cal Cunningham is married to Elizabeth. They have two children together. As of September 2020, he was an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church.
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