Which Democrat should challenge Trump? NC Senate candidate makes his pick
North Carolina Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham voted for fellow military veteran Pete Buttigieg in the party’s crowded presidential primary.
Cunningham, one of five Democratic candidates running for the nomination, chose Buttigieg last week as part of early voting for the March 3 primary. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is the incumbent.
Buttigieg, 38, is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg currently leads the Democratic field in delegates after strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. But Buttigieg is well behind in recent national polls, placing at 8% in an NPR poll released Tuesday morning.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont led the nationwide poll at 31%.
“He thinks we’d benefit from a veteran in the White House,” a campaign spokesperson told The News & Observer in an email when asked who Cunningham voted for. “Cal will support the Democratic ticket and work with any President that doesn’t raid $80 million from our military communities and put health care in jeopardy for more than 1.7 million North Carolinians with pre-existing conditions.”
Cunningham, a lawyer and former state senator, joined the U.S. Army Reserves after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. An Army prosecutor, he served three active-duty tours, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cunningham was awarded a Bronze Star, in part for prosecuting contractors for criminal misconduct.
Buttigieg joined the Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014.
Both are endorsed by VoteVets.org. The group and its sister organization, VoteVets.org Action Fund, have spent about $7.5 million in support of Cunningham so far this election cycle. VoteVotes announced a $1.5-million advertising buy Tuesday.
Tillis said he and his wife voted for President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Tillis’ re-election, last week during early voting. In a press event after voting, Tillis criticized Cunningham and fellow Democratic candidate Erica Smith for saying they would back the party’s nominee even if it is Sanders, who identifies as a democratic socialist.
“If Erica Smith believes people in North Carolina, and if Cal Cunningham believes people in North Carolina want Bernie Sanders and his liberal, progressive policies in place, then they need to be informed about it,” Tillis said.
Some Democrats are worried about Sanders’ impact on down-ballot races, including the Senate race in North Carolina.
Smith, a state senator, has not yet voted in the primary. She said she is still considering which candidate to back. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller, another candidate in the Democratic race, said he has not endorsed a presidential candidate either.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Which Democrat should challenge Trump? NC Senate candidate makes his pick."
