RALEIGH (AP) ó A former state senator and Army veteran who served in Iraq said Monday that he will challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina next year, making his declaration a month after he vowed the election was wrong for him and his family.
Cal Cunningham, a Democrat, said in a statement that he wants to fight against special interests in Washington.
“I’m convinced we’re in a fight for the future,” Cunningham said. “In this fight, a lot of North Carolinians, including some very close to me, have been knocked down. But we are tough people and we get back up.”
Cunningham had long been considering a run against Burr but said last month that he would not, saying it was “the wrong race at the wrong time for me and my family.” He didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment Monday.
Burr is seeking a second term in the Senate in next year’s elections. Other Democratic challengers include North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham attorney Kenneth Lewis.
Cunningham’s wavering views on the 2010 race are reminiscent of two years ago, when then-state Sen. Kay Hagan initially declined a run for the U.S. Senate but then changed her mind and entered the race against incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Hagan went on to win that race.