Carla D. Cunningham

Party:

Democrat

Incumbent:

Yes

Age:

Previous experience in elected office:

N.C. House Representative (2013–present); former Minority Whip

Occupation:

Registered hospice nurse

Description:

Cunningham’s top issues focus on expanding healthcare access and affordability, strengthening mental health and substance use services, supporting children and families and investing in community nonprofit and educational support programs. On her campaign website, she highlights her decades‑long work leading the fight for Medicaid expansion, noting that the state budget now includes Medicaid expansion that benefits an estimated 600,000 more people. She also says she secured funding for local nonprofits and addressed school lunch debt. Cunningham has crossed party lines and voted with Republicans to override four of the governor’s vetoes in the current legislative session. She was the sole Democrat who voted with Republicans to override the veto of House Bill 318, which compels county sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. She subsequently filed a petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, whom she said threatened her. That petition has since been dismissed. She was the primary sponsor of 40 bills in the current session, including one to ensure a full-time nurse in every public school. She had excused absences for 6% of the votes in the current legislative session and 8% for the 2023-24 session (ranking in the middle of all legislators).

Other personal:

Cunningham is from Charlotte. She is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and a widow. She is a former nurse and says she has dedicated much of her life to community advocacy, including involvement in health and children’s initiatives. She earned a Licensed Practical Nurse Diploma from Central Piedmont Community College in 1981, an associate's from Gaston College in 1996 and a bachelor's in Nursing from Winston-Salem State University in 2009.

Candidate Website

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please provide demographic information about yourself to help voters (age, education, current occupation, where you live).

64 years old; Education: BSN, RN, Winston-Salem State University; AA, Gaston College; Reside: District 106, Charlotte, North Carolina

Why are you running for this role and why should voters pick you? Please share your previous experience in elected office that would be relevant to voters.

I have served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2013, and every day I bring the heart of a nurse and the discipline of a senior legislator to this work. After 35 years in nursing, I understand triage. I know how to assess what’s urgent, what’s life-threatening, and what requires immediate action. I apply that same approach in public service because the decisions we make in Raleigh have real consequences for people’s lives.

I don’t guess what my community needs — I take its pulse. I listen to my constituents, show up in their neighborhoods, and respond with action. That is why I’ve been a drum major for Medicaid expansion, a consistent advocate for mental health care access, and a frontline supporter of economic opportunity. It’s also why I work tirelessly to bring resources home. Over the past several years, I’ve secured more than $23 million for Mecklenburg County, ensuring organizations like the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Living Waters, Hope Haven, Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, Gracious Hands, The Relatives, Village Heartbeat, and many others have the support they need to serve families, seniors, and youth across our community. These investments are not abstract — they are food on tables, shelter for women and children, treatment for addiction, stability for people in crisis, and serving our most vulnerable populations.

I currently serve on 26 committees, including the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid, the House Select Committee on Blockchain and Digital Assets, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (where I serve as Co-Chair), the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, and the House Health Committee (where I serve as Vice-Chair). My work covers health care, economic development, technology, and human services because my district needs a representative who understands how these systems connect and can navigate them to achieve results.

Before I ever held elected office, I worked as a nurse for 35 years, a small business owner, and a leader in nonprofit and community organizations focused on workforce development, family support, and economic empowerment. Those experiences taught me how state policies impact real people — patients, parents, caregivers, employers, and workers. They also taught me to lead with compassion, clarity, and purpose.

I have touched lives in this community long before I stepped into public office, and I continue to do so every day. I am steady in a crisis, principled in my decisions, and relentless in my advocacy. I am running to continue serving District 106 because I believe in the people of Mecklenburg County, and I will always fight to ensure they have the resources, protections, and opportunities they deserve.

Tell us 1-2 professional accomplishments you have achieved in your work experience (not limited to public service) that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

I worked across the aisle to help pass two major pieces of legislation that have made a real difference for people across our state: HB 76, which expanded Medicaid under Governor Roy Cooper, and HB 509, which addressed student lunch debt. For my work on Medicaid expansion, I was recognized by NC CHILD—alongside one other House member and two Senators—for our dedication to getting this done. As they noted at the time, “Medicaid expansion is a monumental achievement, and it wouldn’t have happened in this state without the hard work and dedication of a bipartisan group of legislators and their staffs at the North Carolina General Assembly.”

My work on school lunch debt is deeply personal. When I had to pay my own grandson’s school lunch bill, it opened my eyes to what so many families were experiencing—especially here in Mecklenburg County, which carries the highest school lunch debt in North Carolina. After pandemic meal waivers ended, families who were working hard and doing everything right were suddenly left with bills they simply couldn’t afford. That’s why I worked across party lines to introduce bipartisan legislation to eliminate school lunch debt, protect children from stigma, and ensure parents—not students—are notified. The bill hasn’t moved yet. But leadership isn’t about walking away when something is difficult—it’s about staying in the fight until the work is done.

What endorsements from any notable North Carolina organizations or people have you received?

I have none to report currently.

How long have you lived in the region/district where you are running for office?

I have lived in Charlotte since the 3rd grade and in District 106 since it was drawn in 2012.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself that voters may be interested to know.

I am a country girl. I love to fish, and I consider myself an angler. I am also the Co-Chair of the North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, which is run through the Southeastern States Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.