Cunningham announces race against Burr

[ccharles000]

Former state senator and Iraq war veteran Cal Cunningham announced his campaign against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) today, landing Democratic Senate campaign officials their favored recruit in North Carolina.

Cunningham initially decided to stay out of the race but reconsidered in the wake of persuasion from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Party leaders believe Cunningham, as a young, former elected official with a military background, is the strongest potential Democrat to challenge Burr.

“I’ve got what it takes to stand up for North Carolina. First as a state senator and then as an Army prosecutor and Captain in Iraq, I’ve fought the waste and the criminal conduct that endangered North Carolina families and American soldiers,” Cunningham said in a statement.

Cunningham starts off trailing his better-known Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, in primary polling but has plenty of time to raise money and his political profile in the wake of the May primary. Attorney Kenneth Lewis is also in the race.

Cillizza reports that Cunningham has brought on an A-team of advisers, with Steve Murphy and Mark Putnam serving as his media consultants and John Anzalone handling his polling.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1209/Cunningham_announces_race_against_Burr.html?showall

[struggle4progress]

1. I'm currently supporting our SOS Elaine Marshall: she's feisty, she's funny, she's got

a history of success, and she's won several state-wide elections