On Monday, former state Sen. Cal Cunningham announced that he would seek the Democratic nod to challenge GOP incumbent Thom Tillis in North Carolina’s Senate race, a contest that could prove vital to Team Blue’s hopes of flipping the chamber. Cunningham is one of several Tar Heel State Democrats who had met with the DSCC about a potential campaign, but it’s unclear at this point if he’s their preferred candidate. However, Cunningham entered the race with an endorsement from former Sen. Kay Hagan, who narrowly lost the 2014 race to Tillis.
Cunningham was elected to his only term in the legislature in 2000 at the age of 27, and he decided not to run again after the 2002 round of redistricting redrew his seat. Cunningham went on to serve in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a lawyer in the Army Reserve, and he earned a Bronze Star for his work prosecuting contractor fraud.
Cunningham unsuccessfully sought North Carolina’s other Senate seat a decade ago. The DSCC reportedly recruited Cunningham in 2009 to challenge GOP Sen. Richard Burr, and they continued their pursuit even after Secretary of State Elaine Marshall entered the race and Cunningham initially announced he would not run.
Cunningham eventually reversed course and launched his campaign in December, and he had the DSCC’s support for the primary, though not their official endorsement. However, Cunningham’s fundraising did not impress observers, and he brought in only $1.3 million through the July primary runoff. Marshall also struggled to raise cash, but unlike Cunningham, she had a base of support as a four-time statewide elected official. Marshall ended up beating Cunningham 60-40 in the primary runoff, and she went on to lose to Burr 55-43.
Cunningham, who currently serves as an executive at a waste reduction company, hasn’t been on the ballot since that race. However, Cunningham did launch a bid for lieutenant governor this cycle back in December, and he raised $315,000 through the rest of that month for that campaign. Cunningham exited the lieutenant governor contest on Monday as he was entering the Senate race.
Cunningham joins state Sen. Erica Smith and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller in the primary. However, each candidates raised less than $30,000 though March, which will not go far in what will be a very expensive race. Former state Sen. Eric Mansfield also set up an exploratory committee in April, and the Charlotte Observer wrote Monday he “is expected to announce soon.”
One Democrat we can finally cross off the list of potential candidates is former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. The local blog PoliticsNC wrote in late April that Foxx had decided not to run, and he confirmed on Sunday that he would indeed be staying out of the race.