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 (redistricted) |
| 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 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
James Calvin Cunningham III (born August 6, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician. He is also a retired military officer. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Cunningham served as a state senator for North Carolina from 2001 to 2003. He is also a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. In 2020, he ran for the United States Senate in North Carolina. He was the Democratic candidate but lost to the Republican, Thom Tillis.
Contents
Cal Cunningham's Early Life and Education
Cunningham was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He grew up in Lexington, North Carolina. He first attended Vanderbilt University. Later, he transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated in 1996 with degrees in political science and philosophy.
College and Graduate Studies
In 1993, Cunningham worked as an intern on Capitol Hill. This is where the U.S. Congress meets. He worked for a committee led by Senator Carl Levin.
Cunningham earned a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics. He also received a law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Cal Cunningham's Career Journey
Cunningham has had a career in both the military and politics. He also worked as a lawyer.
Serving in the U.S. Army Reserve
In 2002, Cunningham joined the Army Reserve. He became part of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. This group provides legal services to the Army. He completed special training, including Airborne School.
From 2007 to 2008, Cunningham served in Iraq. He was a senior lawyer for the Multi-National Corps. In 2011, he worked 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, Cunningham was the youngest lawmaker in North Carolina. He served one term, from 2001 to 2003. He did not run for reelection because his district was changed.
After the State Senate
After his time as a state senator, Cunningham worked at law firms. From 2003 to 2004, he was at Wallace & Graham. Then, he joined Kilpatrick Townsend.
Cunningham also served on several boards. He was on the Board of Trustees for Davidson County Community College. He also served on the North Carolina Banking Commission. He was a vice chair of the Governor's Crime Commission.
In 2013, Cunningham became a vice president at WasteZero. This company helps cities reduce waste. He left WasteZero in March 2020 but continued to work for them as a contractor.
Running for U.S. Senate
Cal Cunningham ran for a U.S. Senate seat twice.
2010 Senate Campaign
In 2010, Cunningham ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by Richard Burr. General Wesley Clark, a retired NATO commander, supported Cunningham. He said Cunningham would be the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Cunningham finished second in the Democratic primary election. Because no candidate received 40% of the votes, he went to a runoff election. He lost the runoff to North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.
2020 Senate Campaign
Cunningham first planned to run for lieutenant governor in 2020. But in June 2019, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate instead. He aimed for the seat held by Thom Tillis.
On March 3, 2020, Cunningham won the Democratic primary election. He received 57% of the votes.
Key Issues and Stances
Cunningham supported the Affordable Care Act. He also wanted to expand Medicaid in North Carolina. He supported a public health insurance option.
He did not support the Green New Deal. However, he wanted to invest a lot in green jobs. He also aimed for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In July 2020, Senator Tillis said Cunningham was "silent" on the idea of defunding the police. But Cunningham had already written that he was against defunding the police. He supported police reform. This included policies for de-escalation, banning chokeholds, and limiting no-knock warrants.
Campaign Challenges and Outcome
Cunningham was ahead in the polls for most of the campaign. However, in October 2020, the race became very close. There was news about Cunningham's personal life. The Army Reserve started an investigation into him.
After this, Cunningham became very quiet on the campaign trail. His lead in the polls disappeared. On Election Day, November 3, 2020, Tillis narrowly defeated Cunningham. Cunningham called Tillis on November 10, 2020, to accept the loss.
Awards and Recognition
Cunningham has received several honors for his service.
- For his work in Iraq, he received the Bronze Star Medal. This award is for brave or excellent service.
- In 2009, he received the General Douglas MacArthur Award for Leadership.
- He also received a Distinguished Service Award from the Jaycees.
- In 2007, he was chosen for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship.
Personal Life
Cal Cunningham is married to Elizabeth. They have two children. He is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church.
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