Cal Cunningham, the North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate, canceled a previously scheduled town hall, just days after confirming reports he exchanged sexual text messages with the wife of a combat veteran.
Cunningham, a former state senator who is married with two children, is challenging Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and is leading the GOP incumbent by 6 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
However, the race took another turn late last week after the Democrat over the weekend apologized for exchanging sexually explicit text messages with Arlene Guzman Todd, a Los Angeles public relations executive.
Jeff Tiberii, the capitol bureau chief at WUNC and the host of the WUNC Politics podcast, was slated to moderate a town hall on Monday in which Cunningham was scheduled to appear, but Tiberi instead tweeted to announce the cancellation this afternoon:
I’m disappointed for the organizers who worked hard to put this together; also that we will not hear from Cunningham about sexually suggestive texts he sent to a woman (not his wife, nor mother of his children). Fascinated to see when he publicly addresses this..#ncpol #29days
— Jeff Tiberii (@j_tibs) October 5, 2020
A Cunningham campaign spokeswoman told the North Carolina-based News & Observer, “He’s unable to attend today but looks forward to continuing to work to earn the opportunity to fight for North Carolinians.”
But that didn’t stop criticism.
“Cal Cunningham has been dodging the media since Friday and is now avoiding the people of North Carolina because he doesn’t want to answer for his misconduct,” said Tim Wigginton, the press secretary for the North Carolina Republican Party. “Cunningham owes North Carolinians a full explanation for his extramarital relationship, and he needs to come out of his windowless basement and provide it.”
