RALEIGH, N.C. — Democrat Cal Cunningham has apologized to his friends and family after private text messages revealing an extra-marital affair went public.
"I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry. The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family’s privacy be respected in this personal matter. I remain grateful and humbled by the ongoing support that North Carolinians have extended in this campaign, and in the remaining weeks before this election, I will continue to work to earn the opportunity to fight for the people of our state."
Cunningham admitted he sent the texts after they were made public by the Associated Press. The scandal throws a wrench in a tightly contested Senate race after the allegations went public.
Cunningham's personal indiscretion offers a fresh test of whether voters will punish candidates for their private, consensual activity, and the answer they deliver could determine which party wields power in the Senate.
Republican opponent Thom Tillis' campaign wasted no time attacking Cunningham on the matter.
“There’s a concern that Cunningham — an Army reservist who talks regularly about honor, a husband who leverages his marriage as a campaign asset — may not be the person he says he is," Tillis's campaign shared in a newsletter.