Senator
There are 4 candidates for the office of US Senator in North Carolina in 2020.
Cal Cunningham (D)
Thom Tillis (R)
Kevin E. Hayes (C)
Shannon Bray (L)
Only Cal Cunningham responded to our survey, so you will not see any other candidates mentioned below.
The candidates for the office of Senator were each asked the following questions:
Candidate Questions
1. What are your top three priorities?
2. What will you do to make college and vocational training more affordable and accessible?
3. How will you improve access to medical care in rural and low-income communities?
4. What will you do to promote more affordable and accessible housing?
Cal Cunningham (D)
Healthcare cost and access: I will fight to strengthen and extend coverage under the ACA.
Economy opportunity: I will fight to rein in higher education costs, raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay, and oppose tax policies that only benefit the wealthiest.
Climate change: North Carolina has seen the effects through historic storms and flooding. We need to invest in a clean energy economy and protect our beautiful natural resources including by opposing offshore drilling.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
I support allowing students to refinance student loans, expand Pell Grants and public service loan forgiveness. I’m also committed to ensuring that veterans can access and have time to use the educational benefits available to them and their families. North Carolina has a proud tradition of public universities and our HBCUs are a critical part of our higher education system, so I will work to ensure the federal government increases investment for these important institutions.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
I will work to strengthen and extend coverage under the Affordable Care Act by creating a public health insurance option and will stand up against attempts to roll back protections for people with pre-existing conditions. It’s long past time that North Carolina expand Medicaid, which would cover more than 600,000 North Carolinians. I will also work to lower the cost of prescription drugs through efforts like allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
A lack of high growth and quality housing has driven up rent in parts of North Carolina. The U.S. should either use federal grant programs or a major infrastructure package to invest in building more affordable housing units, especially in urban communities. Congress must put an end to redlining and ensure that all families have a fair shot at homeownership, and redouble support to community development financial institutions that extend capital in underserved markets.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
Yes, I support raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and eliminating the subminimum wage. I believe the only economy that truly works is one that generates opportunities for everyone, but right now the economy is tilted in favor of the wealthy few and against regular families struggling to keep up with rising costs. I will fight for higher wages, defend workplace protections, and work to close the wage gap to ensure paycheck fairness for women.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
Yes, I support keeping the ADA strong and opposing efforts that would weaken it like H.R. 620 that would create additional obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their rights to access public accommodations under the ADA.
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Cal Cunningham (D)
Before the pandemic, I traveled to communities across North Carolina, holding numerous events and listening to folks’ concerns. I’ve continued to listen to folks’ concerns through zoom meetings and virtual events with people across the state. During this campaign and if I am fortunate enough to serve in the Senate, the decisions I make will follow the input of those I serve.
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