Cal Cunningham

James Calvin Cunningham III (born August 6, 1973) is an American politician, lawyer, and veteran who served as the North Carolina State Senator from the 23rd district from 2001 to 2003. A member of the Democratic Party, he is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. After an unsuccessful primary campaign for the United States Senate in the 2010 election, Cunningham became the Democratic nominee in the 2020 election.[1][2][3]

Cal Cunningham
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 23rd district
In office
January 24, 2001 – January 29, 2003
Preceded byJim Phillips Sr.
Succeeded byEleanor Kinnaird
Personal details
Born
James Calvin Cunningham III

(1973-08-06) August 6, 1973
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD)
London School of Economics (MSc)
Websitewww.calfornc.com
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service2002–present
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
UnitUnited States Army Reserve
Battles/warsIraq War
War in Afghanistan
Awards

Early life and education

Cunningham was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and grew up in Lexington, North Carolina. He attended Vanderbilt University before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated from UNC in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy. During college, Cunningham was inducted into the Golden Fleece Honorary Society and the Order of the Grail-Valkyries.[4][5]

Cunningham received a Master of Science in public policy and public administration from the London School of Economics. He then earned a Juris Doctor in 1999 from University of North Carolina School of Law.[6]

During the summer of 1993, Cunningham attended American University and interned on Capitol Hill for a subcommittee chaired by Senator Carl Levin.[7]

Career

State Senate

In November 2000, Cunningham was elected to represent the 23rd Senate District of the North Carolina General Assembly, which included parts of Davidson, Rowan, and Iredell Counties [8] At the time of his election, he was North Carolina’s youngest legislator.[9] After the campaign, another candidate challenged Cunningham’s residency. The challenge was denied by the local and state Boards of Elections, North Carolina Superior Court, and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The North Carolina Supreme Court later refused to grant a stay against the earlier decision of the Court of Appeals.[10]

In the Senate, Cunningham served as Vice Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the Education Appropriations, Policy and Joint Oversight Committees. He did not run for reelection after the 23rd district was split into three Republican-leaning districts after the 2010 census.

Law firms

From 2003 to 2004, Cunningham worked at the Wallace & Graham law firm.[11][6] In 2004 he joined the Kilpatrick Townsend law firm.

In 2008, Cunningham received a Pro Bono Impact Award and recognition from Legal Aid of Forsyth County for legal representation of victims of domestic violence and of tenants in disputes with their landlords.[12]

U.S. Army Reserve

In 2002, Cunningham was commissioned in the Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General's Corps. He is a graduate the Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and the Judge Advocate Officer Advanced Course,[13] In the Reserve, he serves with an airborne unit at Fort Bragg. He has been mobilized for two active duty tours.

In 2005, Cunningham served with XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.[14]

In 2007, Cunningham was mobilized by XVIII Airborne Corps and served as the senior trial counsel, Multi-National Corps–Iraq.[11] He was lead counsel in the first court-martial since 1968 of a contractor/civilian under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.[15] For his service in Iraq, Cunningham was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. In 2009, Cunningham was awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Award for Leadership as one of the outstanding company grade officers in the Army, including for his service in Iraq.[16][17]

In 2011, Cunningham was assigned to work with a special operations task force in Afghanistan.[18]

Boards and commissions

Since 2003, Cunningham has served as an appointee of the Governor on the Board of Trustees of Davidson County Community College.[19] He also served as an appointee of the Governor on the North Carolina Banking Commission.[20] He is a former vice chair of the Governor's Crime Commission.[21][22]

2010 Senate campaign
Main article: 2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina

In 2010, Cunningham ran for the U.S. Senate seat held by Richard Burr.[23][24] Other candidates in the May 4, 2010, Democratic primary included Elaine Marshall and Ken Lewis. Retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark endorsed Cunningham, saying that he would be "the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Senate."[25] Cunningham also received the endorsement of the state's largest organization of teachers, the North Carolina Association of Educators.[26] Cunningham finished in second place in the primary, but since no candidate received 40% of the vote, he advanced to a runoff with the first-place finisher, Marshall. He lost the runoff election on June 22, 2010.[27]

WasteZero

In 2013 Cunningham joined the environmental services company WasteZero as vice president, government affairs, and general counsel.[28] WasteZero helps support pay-as-you-throw waste reduction systems, which municipalities in North Carolina and elsewhere have debated implementing.[29]

Cunningham left WasteZero on March 20, 2020, shortly after winning the Democratic nomination, but as of July 2020 continued to work for the company as an independent contractor.[30][31]

2020 Senate campaign
Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in North Carolina

In November 2018, Cunningham filed as a potential candidate for lieutenant governor of North Carolina in 2020.[32] On January 8, 2019, Cunningham declared his candidacy for the Democratic primary for that office[33] He withdrew on June 17, 2019, to run for the United States Senate instead.[34] On March 3, 2020, Cunningham won the Democratic primary with 57 percent of the vote.[35]

Awards and honors

Cunningham was selected as one of the Jaycees' Outstanding Young North Carolinians and received the group's Distinguished Service Award.[36] In 2007, he was selected as one of the Triad's Forty Leaders Under Forty.[37]

In 2007, Cunningham was selected for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship[38] and traveled to Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark, and Poland to meet with government and civic leaders about Trans-Atlantic security, combating Islamic extremism, and terrorism.[39]

Electoral history
Main article: Electoral history of Cal Cunningham

Notes
  1. "Pod Save America: "Coronavirus doesn't watch Fox News." on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  2. "Cunningham Won't Run for Senate in 2010". Roll Call. November 10, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  3. "North Carolina U.S. Senate Primary Election Results". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  4. "Order of the Grail-Valkyries of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1920-2003". Lib.unc.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  5. "Order of the Golden Fleece of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1904-2007". Lib.unc.edu. April 11, 1904. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  6. "Kilpatrick Stockton LLP: Cunningham III, J. Calvin". September 5, 2004. Archived from the original on September 5, 2004. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  7. "Full text of "S. 885, to modify congressional restrictions on gifts : hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, on S. 885 ... July 19, 1993"". Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  8. "Cal Cunningham". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  9. "April 2001 State Legislatures magazine: Captivating Legislative Trivia". archive.is. July 3, 2004. Archived from the original on July 3, 2004. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  10. "Keadle vs. Cunningham — Courts uphold voters' choice". Salisburypost.com. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  11. Ivey, Steve (March 3, 2008). "Cal Cunningham: Kilpatrick Stockton attorney goes from comforts of Triad to dangers of Iraq". Triad.bizjournals.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  12. "LANC News:The Newsletter of Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. LANC-Winston-Salem Office Special Edition" (PDF). Legal Aid of North Carolina. June 2008. p. 4. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  13. "Local lawyer gets medal for meritorious work in Iraq | JournalNow.com". archive.is. June 16, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  14. "J. Calvin Cunningham, III Lawyer Profile". martindale.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "News & Observer: Cunningham wins Army award". News & Observer. June 11, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  17. "MacArthur Leadership Awards - Home Page". April 3, 2009. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  18. News & Observer: Cal Cunningham off to Afghanistan Archived September 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  19. "Davidson County Community College". May 29, 2006. Archived from the original on May 29, 2006. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  20. "Current Banking Commission Members". Nccob.org. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  21. "Governor's Crime Commission » Commission Members". North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019.
  22. "MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor's Crime Commission Quarterly Meeting". North Carolina Department of Public Safety. December 5, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2020. Policy Study Report Update GCC Vice Chairman Cal Cunningham
  23. "News & Observer: Cunningham makes it official". Projects.newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  24. "News & Observer: Cunningham's announcement speech". Projects.newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  25. "News & Observer: Cunningham endorsed by retired Gen Wesley Clark". Projects.newsobserver.com. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  26. "News & Observer: Cunningham, Lewis pick up endorsements". Projects.newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  27. Catanese, David (June 23, 2010). "Marshall wins N.C. Senate nomination". Politico.Com. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  28. "'I need to hear his defense.' NC Senate candidate calls for witnesses at impeachment trial". The News & Observer. January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020. Cunningham, a former state senator, an Army veteran and a lawyer who is now general counsel for waste reduction company WasteZero, is one of five candidates competing for the Democratic nomination...
  29. Harrison, Steve (November 23, 2014). "Would new garbage system reduce waste?". The News & Observer. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  30. Morrill, Jim; Murphy, Brian (July 7, 2020). "Tillis blasts Cunningham over PPP loan to his former company. Cunningham pushes back". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 11, 2020. Cunningham’s campaign said he left the company March 20, shortly after winning his Senate primary. President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act, which included the PPP, into law on March 27.
  31. Specht, Paul (July 17, 2020). "Fact check: Tillis says Cunningham criticized program that helped 'his company' :". WRAL.com. Retrieved August 11, 2020. However, Bryla and Cunningham himself say he still does contract work for WasteZero and is paid on an hourly basis.
  32. "Cal Cunningham Preparing for 2020 Lieutenant Governor Bid". U.S. News. November 28, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  33. "Lexington Native Cal Cunningham to Run for Lt Gov". The Dispatch. January 8, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  34. "Cunningham: Voters led him to switch to US Senate campaign | Miami Herald". June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  35. Panetta, Grace; Cachero, Paulina (March 3, 2020). "Cal Cunningham claims a victory in the North Carolina Senate Democratic primary". Business Insider. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  36. Cherriece Wright (May 7, 2003). "Jaycees honor five people for service to community". The-Dispatch.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  38. "People in Business". The-Dispatch.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  39. "May/June 2007". Carolina Alumni Review. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
North Carolina Senate
Preceded by
Jim Phillips Sr.		 Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 23rd district
2001–2003		 Succeeded by
Eleanor Kinnaird
Party political offices
Preceded by
Kay Hagan		 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from North Carolina
(Class 2)
2020		 Most recent
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