Democrat Cal Cunningham has conceded in his race to unseat Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina, placing the GOP one step closer to maintaining control of the upper chamber.
Cunningham, 47, released a statement Tuesday saying that he had called Tillis "to congratulate him on winning re-election to a second term in the U.S. Senate and wished him and his family the best in their continued service in the months and years ahead."
"The voters have spoken and I respect their decision," he continued. "While the results of this election suggest there remain deep political divisions in our state and nation, the more complete story of our country lies in what unites us: our faith and sense of confidence in our democracy, our civic values and common humanity, our shared aspiration to care for one another, and our belief that we live in a country that does exceptional things."
My statement on the results of this race: https://t.co/dWo5gipxw8— Cal Cunningham (@Cal Cunningham)1605039483.0
Tillis, 60, issued a statement acknowledging Cunningham's call, saying, "This was a hard-fought campaign and I wish nothing but the best to Cal and his family going forward."
Earlier this afternoon, Cal Cunningham called me to offer his concession. This was a hard-fought campaign and I wis… https://t.co/CKNqkPBscX— Thom Tillis (@Thom Tillis)1605040003.0
Polls showed Tillis trailing behind Cunningham leading up to the election, but the race tightened in October after Cunningham admitted to exchanging sexually charged texts with a woman who is not his wife. The married father of two children was also hit with allegations of engaging in separate physical affairs with the alleged mistress and another unnamed woman.
Fox News reported that, according to elections policy analyst Andy Jackson of the conservative Civitas Institute, Tillis "had the odds stacked against him," noting that "North Carolina voters are 'brutal' to their incumbent senators, rejecting nearly all modern senators after just one term."
The Associated Press reported that Tillis led Cunningham by more than 95,000 votes in the race, and with it decided, "all eyes turned to Georgia, where two U.S. Senate runoff races in January are likely to determine the balance of the upper chamber."
The outlet pointed out:
With votes still uncounted and the races in North Carolina and Alaska still too early to call Tuesday, the Senate remained tied 48-48. Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is favored for another term against Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat. If the Senate ended up tied 50-50, Democratic Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would wield the tiebreaking vote.
Now that Tillis has kept his seat, Republicans now hold 49 seats in the Senate to the Democrats' 48.
Also, North Carolina's presidential race and several other statewide races have not been called. President Trump leads former Vice President Joe Biden by more than 73,000 votes.
North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham (D) held his first press conference Friday since admitting to sexting a woman other than his wife, but refused several times to answer whether he had been involved with additional women outside of his marriage.
Cunningham — a married father of two who is running to unseat incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R) — admitted a week ago to engaging in sexually-charged text messages with a California public relations strategist named Arlene Guzman Todd.
As TheBlaze previously reported, Guzman Todd "is married to Jeremy Todd, who like Cunningham is a military veteran, reportedly served 15 years in the Army."
Guzman Todd later told the Associated Press that her affair with Cunningham was also physical.
While Cunningham has remained mum on the topic for several days, National File, the outlet that broke the news on his sexting scandal, published claims from a former Cunningham supporter and attorney that the Democrat had been carrying on an affair with another woman since 2012 who was "devastated" after learning of his relationship with Guzman Todd.
During the press conference on Friday, Cunningham was asked repeatedly by reporters whether or not there are more women who might come forward.
Local outlet WNCN-TV counted four times that the Senate candidate refused to answer the question, dodging by saying that he had already taken responsibility for the hurt he has caused, that "people are tired of hearing about personal issues," and that Tillis was trying to redirect the conversation away from the Republican's own record.
Cal Cunningham doesn't answer specific questions about other potential affairswww.youtube.com
Politico's Burgess Everett reported: "'I've said what I'm going to say about it,' Cunningham concludes when asked if there are more women and if this might hang over his head."
"I've said what I'm going to say about it," Cunningham concludes when asked if there are more women and if this might hang over his head.— Burgess Everett (@Burgess Everett)1602265444.0
Early Friday morning, Tillis tweeted out a new political ad attacking Cunningham over the affair allegations, writing, "Chuck Schumer has spent over $80 million trying to paint one picture of Cal Cunningham, but North Carolinians are now realizing it was all one big lie and that Cunningham's candidacy is riddled with hypocrisy."
Chuck Schumer has spent over $80 million trying to paint one picture of Cal Cunningham, but North Carolinians are n… https://t.co/TiHdM9rDXa— Thom Tillis (@Thom Tillis)1602156887.0
The U.S. Army Reserve said Wednesday that it is now investigating Cunningham, but did not provide any details.
According to The Washington Examiner:
Tillis previously stated that Cunningham's actions warranted military disciplinary action, and Republicans went after Cunningham, saying that he may have violated Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice under the section of adultery, citing his rank as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and his mistress's status as the wife of an Army combat veteran.
A North Carolina community is mourning the loss of Henderson County police officer Ryan Hendrix, who was shot and killed in the line of duty. Hendrix, 35, was a Marine veteran and father of two children, ages six and nine.
Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix was responding to a car burglary at around 2:50 a.m. on Thursday after a homeowner called 911. The suspect, Robert Ray Doss Jr., appeared to be cooperating with police officers at first.
The suspect "initially appeared to comply with lawful orders to show the deputies his hands...but in one rapid movement, he retrieved the gun, firing one round, striking [Hendrix] in the face and critically wounding him," Sheriff Lowell Griffin said during a Thursday press conference.
Two other deputies returned fire and killed Doss, a "career criminal with arrests in Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia," according to Fox News. Doss had a lengthy rap sheet, including crimes for drugs, multiple arsons, and felony thefts, Griffin said.
Hendrix was taken to the hospital, but later died from his injuries.
"It is with a very heavy heart the family of Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix and Sheriff Lowell Griffin announce Ryan's passing," the Henderson County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. "Early this morning while the world slept, Ryan responded to assist a family needing help when they became innocent victims of a violent encounter."
"Even in passing Ryan continues to exemplify a servant's heart," the post read. "You see, Ryan was also an organ donor. He will continue to help strangers for a lifetime, even after making the ultimate sacrifice."
The Hendrix family released a statement that said, "Ryan was doing the job he was born to do and he died doing the job he loved."
Besides leaving behind his two young children, he leaves behind his fiancée, who he was set to marry in October.
Hendrix had been with the sheriff's department for eight years, and before that, he was a Marine.
Sheriff Griffin said Hendrix was "an exemplary officer who was also a member of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, serves as a field training officer, and assists in many other capacities."
North Carolina Governor Cooper (D) wrote, "Kristin and I are praying for Ryan Hendrix, who was shot and killed this morning while trying to keep his community safe. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, the Henderson County Sheriff's Dept. and the entire community."
"God bless the family of Marine veteran and Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix, who was shot and killed in the line of duty," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) wrote on Twitter. "Susan and I are praying for him, his family, and his fellow Henderson County deputies."
God bless the family of Marine veteran and Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix, who was shot and killed in the lin… https://t.co/A1gocuKtar— Thom Tillis (@Thom Tillis)1599944292.0
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office teamed up with the North Carolina Police Benevolent Foundation to create a fundraising page for Hendrix's family; 100% of the proceeds will go to his family.
Zechariah Cartledge is the boy who is the face of Running 4 Heroes, an organization that raises awareness and funds for first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. On Sept. 11, Cartledge went to North Carolina to show support for Hendrix as well as the first responders who lost their lives in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Cartledge ran with Henderson County law enforcement members as they were trailed by police vehicles with their lights flashing and sirens blaring as a tribute to Hendrix.
www.theblaze.com