W. Pete Cunningham facts for kids

William Pete Cunningham was a politician from North Carolina. He was born on November 7, 1929, and passed away on December 21, 2010. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the North Carolina General Assembly, which is where laws are made for the state.

Pete Cunningham represented the people of Mecklenburg County in the North Carolina House of Representatives. He served for many years, starting in 1987. He resigned from his position on December 31, 2007.

Early Life and Work

Pete Cunningham was born in Union County, North Carolina. Before becoming a politician, he had an interesting career. He served in the United States military for 20 years. He was in the US Navy for 16 years, where he worked on submarines. He also spent 4 years as a paratrooper in the US Army.

After his military service, Pete Cunningham became a real estate investor in Charlotte, North Carolina. This means he bought and sold properties.

He also worked with important civil rights leaders. In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked with Robert F. Williams. He was also involved with the Monroe County chapter of the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that works for equal rights for all people.

Serving in the House

Pete Cunningham was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. This is a group of elected officials who make laws for the state. He represented different areas, called districts.

From 1987 to 2003, he represented the 59th House District. Then, from 2003 to 2009, he represented the 107th House District. He was elected many times by the people in his district. This showed that voters trusted him to represent them.

He served a total of 11 terms in the House. This means he was re-elected many times. He worked to help the people of North Carolina.