Cal Cunningham apologized over scandalous text messages that risk hurting his Democratic campaign against Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, as the race entered its final month Saturday.
The romantic messages exchanged between Mr. Cunningham and a woman other than his wife were revealed this week by a conservative website and confirmed as authentic by his campaign Friday night.
Mr. Tillis announced Friday he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, meanwhile, creating setbacks for both candidates as their Senate race prepares to wrap up next month on Nov. 3.
The text messages, published by National File, show Mr. Cunningham fawning over a woman the website repeatedly described as the Democratic candidate’s “paramour.”
“I’ve had the most amazing dreams of our time together,” Mr. Cunningham said in one of the messages published online. “Would make my day to roll over and kiss you about now,” he said in another.
Mr. Cunningham, a 47-year-old married father of two, acknowledged the messages are authentic Friday night and issued a statement apologizing for his conduct, The News & Observer newspaper reported.
“I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends and am deeply sorry,” said Mr. Cunningham. “The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do.”
Mr. Cunningham, a lawyer and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, served in the North Carolina state Senate from 2001 to 2003 and unsuccessfully campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2010.
Virtually every major poll conducted last month among likely voters in North Carolina showed Mr. Cunningham leading Mr. Tillis in the race by anywhere from between one and 10 percentage points.
“North Carolinians are supporting Cal because he will protect health care coverage for pre-existing conditions, fight to bring down the costs of prescription drugs and help our country recover from this crisis,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee communications director Lauren Passalacqua said Saturday. “We are confident that he will bring the same courage and determination to the Senate as he has while serving our country in uniform.”
Mr. Tillis, 60, announced Friday night that he had just tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and said that he was asymptomatic and would be self-isolating at home.
His announcement added him to a group of multiple prominent Republicans, including President Trump, among others, who recently tested positive for COVID-19.
President Trump revealed earlier Friday he tested positive for COVID-19 and has since been hospitalized. Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have tested positive as well, in addition to first lady Melania Trump, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and senior White House adviser Hope Hicks, among others.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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