Sexts and virus put key Senate race in ‘chaos’

‘I am sorry. The first step in repairing relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do’

A COMPETITIVE race for a Senate seat in North Carolina has fallen into “chaos” after the married Democratic nominee admitted sending inappropriate text messages to another woman, while the Republican candidate tested positive for Covid-19.

Cal Cunningham, a Democrat, apologised for exchanging sexually suggestive text messages with a woman who is not his wife, but he said he would not drop out of the race.

His opponent, Republican Sen Thom Tillis, announced on Friday he had t ested positive f or Covid- 19. The 60-year-old first-term senator has “mild symptoms”, and the positive test forced him to cancel in-person events as several members of his campaign staff headed into quarantine less than five weeks before election day.

“It’s chaos – it’s really what I see it is,” said David Mclennan, a political science professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In the text message exchanges, Mr Cunningham tells the woman he wants to kiss her and she says she wants to spend the night with him. The messages were first reported by the website Nationalfile.com.

“I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry. The first step in repairing relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do,” said Mr Cunningham, who is married with two teenage children.

The race is the nation’s most expensive Senate campaign and considered key to determining the power balance in the chamber. Democrats need to gain four seats in November to take control.