This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates. Will Cunningham Democratic Party Elections and appointments Last election July 7, 2020 Education Bachelor's Brown University, 2007 Law University of Texas School of Law, Austin, 2012 Contact Campaign website Campaign Facebook Campaign Twitter Campaign YouTube Personal Facebook Personal LinkedIn Will Cunningham (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on July 7, 2020. Cunningham completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers. ## Contents * 1 Biography * 2 Elections * 2.1 2020 * 2.1.1 Candidate profile * 2.2 2018 * 3 Campaign themes * 3.1 2020 * 3.1.1 Video for Ballotpedia * 3.2 2018 * 4 See also * 5 External links * 6 Footnotes ## Biography[edit] Cunningham graduated from Brown University and the University of Texas School of Law. Before running for office, Cunningham worked for Teach for America, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)'s office, and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.[1] ## Elections[edit] ### 2020[edit] See also: New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Democratic primary) New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Republican primary) General election ##### General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 Incumbent Jeff Van Drew defeated Amy Kennedy, Jenna Harvey, and Jesse Ehrnstrom in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 3, 2020. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew (R) | 51.9 | 195,526 | Amy Kennedy (D) | 46.2 | 173,849 | Jenna Harvey (Justice Mercy Humility Party) | 1.1 | 4,136 | Jesse Ehrnstrom (L) | 0.8 | 3,036 * * * Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 376,547 | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Democratic primary election ##### Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 Amy Kennedy defeated Brigid Callahan Harrison, Will Cunningham, John Francis III, and Robert Turkavage in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on July 7, 2020. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Amy Kennedy | 62.1 | 43,414 | Brigid Callahan Harrison | 22.3 | 15,560 | Will Cunningham | 12.8 | 8,946 | John Francis III | 1.5 | 1,061 | Robert Turkavage | 1.3 | 938 * * * There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 69,919 | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. #### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates * Ashley Bennett (D) * Frederick John LaVergne (D) * Jack Surrency (D) Republican primary election ##### Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 Incumbent Jeff Van Drew defeated Bob Patterson in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on July 7, 2020. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 82.4 | 45,226 | Bob Patterson | 17.6 | 9,691 * * * Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 54,917 | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. #### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates * Brian Fitzherbert (R) * David Richter (R) #### Candidate profile[edit] Will Cunningham Party: Democratic Party Incumbent: No Political Office: None Submitted Biography: "I am a proud son of South Jersey. I was raised by a single mother who worked an hourly wage factory job, forcing my family to live paycheck-to-paycheck. Without a reliable safety net, my family was constantly moving and frequently spent several months at a time without heat, hot water, or electricity. When things got really tough, my mother and I lost the roof over our heads, forcing us to live in a downtrodden weekly rate hotel. I was homeless for half of my high school career. Despite these overwhelming obstacles, I graduated with honors from Vineland High School and was accepted to Brown University. At Brown, I made a promise to myself to always fight for vulnerable populations and work to ensure others were afforded the same opportunities as me. Since 2016, I have worked in the House of Representatives as a Chief Investigator for the late Chairman Elijah Cummings. As an Oversight Investigator, I held pharmaceutical companies accountable, called out unethical price gouging, probed predatory for-profit colleges, and fought against corporate greed that endangered the public health. I am running for Congress because I believe that those who understand the struggles of their community should be the ones to represent them. I have never forgotten where I came from and I want to help the families and children of New Jersey's Second Congressional District to achieve their dreams just as I, with their help, was able to do not so long ago." * * * Key Messages To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here. * * * I am a progressive and unapologetic black candidate who is ready to win this election and help to make this government one that operates by and for the people. In this Democratic primary, I am the only candidate who embraces the progressivism necessary to reshape our systems and govern for the 21st century. For too long, our elected leaders have been beholden to special interests. I am here to break this chain and usher in bold, transformative leadership for the everyday working families of South Jersey. * * * For me, I understand that policy intimately affects everyone. In Congress, I hope to help the families and children of New Jersey's Second Congressional District achieve their dreams through compassionate, data-driven, and progressive policies like Medicare for All, the Green new Deal, marijuana legalization, and a $15 minimum wage. * * * ​ America's strength has always been its diversity-but that diversity can only flourish if all Americans are treated equally by those serving to protect. America is even stronger when everyone has the same rights and opportunities to thrive in our country. I will fight to make sure that's the case. This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 in 2020 ### 2018[edit] See also: New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018 General election ##### General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 6, 2018. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew (D) | 52.9 | 136,685 | Seth Grossman (R) | 45.2 | 116,866 | John Ordille (L) | 0.7 | 1,726 | Steven Fenichel (Time for Truth Party) | 0.4 | 1,154 | Anthony Parisi Sanchez (Cannot Be Bought Party) | 0.4 | 1,064 | William Benfer (Together We Can Party) | 0.3 | 868 * * * There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 258,363 (100.00% precincts reporting) | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Democratic primary election ##### Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 Jeff Van Drew defeated Tanzie Youngblood, Will Cunningham, and Nathan Kleinman in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 5, 2018. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 57.0 | 16,901 | Tanzie Youngblood | 18.5 | 5,495 | Will Cunningham | 16.2 | 4,795 | Nathan Kleinman | 8.3 | 2,467 * * * There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 29,658 | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. #### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates * Sean Thom (D) Republican primary election ##### Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 Seth Grossman defeated Hirsh Singh, Samuel Fiocchi, and Robert Turkavage in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 5, 2018. Candidate Votes | | | ✔ | | Seth Grossman | 39.0 | 10,215 | Hirsh Singh | 30.5 | 7,983 | Samuel Fiocchi | 23.3 | 6,107 | Robert Turkavage | 7.1 | 1,854 * * * There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 26,159 | | = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. #### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates * James Toto (R) * Mark McGovern (R) * Brian Fitzherbert (R) ## Campaign themes[edit] ### 2020[edit] #### Video for Ballotpedia[edit] Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released January 8, 2020 #### Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Will Cunningham completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cunningham's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well. Expand all | Collapse all Who are you? Tell us about yourself. I am a proud son of South Jersey. I was raised by a single mother who worked an hourly wage factory job, forcing my family to live paycheck-to-paycheck. Without a reliable safety net, my family was constantly moving and frequently spent several months at a time without heat, hot water, or electricity. When things got really tough, my mother and I lost the roof over our heads, forcing us to live in a downtrodden weekly rate hotel. I was homeless for half of my high school career. Despite these overwhelming obstacles, I graduated with honors from Vineland High School and was accepted to Brown University. At Brown, I made a promise to myself to always fight for vulnerable populations and work to ensure others were afforded the same opportunities as me. Since 2016, I have worked in the House of Representatives as a Chief Investigator for the late Chairman Elijah Cummings. As an Oversight Investigator, I held pharmaceutical companies accountable, called out unethical price gouging, probed predatory for-profit colleges, and fought against corporate greed that endangered the public health. I am running for Congress because I believe that those who understand the struggles of their community should be the ones to represent them. I have never forgotten where I came from and I want to help the families and children of New Jersey's Second Congressional District to achieve their dreams just as I, with their help, was able to do not so long ago. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? * I am a progressive and unapologetic black candidate who is ready to win this election and help to make this government one that operates by and for the people. In this Democratic primary, I am the only candidate who embraces the progressivism necessary to reshape our systems and govern for the 21st century. For too long, our elected leaders have been beholden to special interests. I am here to break this chain and usher in bold, transformative leadership for the everyday working families of South Jersey. * For me, I understand that policy intimately affects everyone. In Congress, I hope to help the families and children of New Jersey's Second Congressional District achieve their dreams through compassionate, data-driven, and progressive policies like Medicare for All, the Green new Deal, marijuana legalization, and a $15 minimum wage. * ​ America's strength has always been its diversity-but that diversity can only flourish if all Americans are treated equally by those serving to protect. America is even stronger when everyone has the same rights and opportunities to thrive in our country. I will fight to make sure that's the case. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? As a Chief Investigator on the House Oversight Committee, I led Oversight investigative hearings involving e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL, Johnson & Johnson's baby powder, Betsy DeVos' Department of Education, and contributed to efforts to remedy the Flint water crisis, protect Bears Ears National Monument, and hold the Trump Administration accountable. As such, I am passionate about ensuring that our government works for the people, not the special interests that have dominated our system for too long. I care deeply about ensuring racial, social, and political equality in our society. This can only happen through compassionate, progressive policies that invest in our hardest-hit communities. I support Medicare for All because adequate universal healthcare is a right, not a privilege. In South Jersey, we've all seen the devastating effects climate change has caused on our communities and our state economy. Thus, I am a huge proponent of the Green New Deal on a national level. As well, we must expunge the records of non-violent drug offenders. This means we must fight for marijuana legalization. We need true criminal justice reform that does not treat prisoners as commodities. Once Americans have paid their debt to society and reformed their lives, they should be afforded the same rights and privileges as their fellow Americans. These policies are only a start. In Congress, I will fight establishment politics and work for true, transformative reform. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? My very first job was as a drive-thru server at McDonald's when I was 16. I held the job for nearly a year and a half. I worked 12 hours a week so I could have some pocket change. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. ### 2018[edit] “ | Will almost didn’t step into this race. Then he learned the business as usual Democratic machine had already picked their winner, and that 'winner' wouldn’t be a win for the people of South Jersey. He couldn’t stand by while the establishment decided it was their job, not the job of the people of New Jersey, to choose a candidate. Will would keep his promise to himself, as he always had. He would not stand by as a candidate who had already cast votes against the interests of hardworking South Jerseyans was anointed. Will would run. He would offer the people of New Jersey a real choice. Will knew he faced an uphill battle against the powers that be. But he had overcome great odds before, and he would do it again. The people of his beloved home state deserved more than the same old politics, and the same old predictable and ineffective voices. New Jersey deserves new solutions, not a coronation. If you believe in... * Affordable health care for all Americans * Protecting our resources and environment * Quality education for all children * Support for small businesses * Fair taxes, not huge tax cuts for our most wealthy * Training and livable wages for our workforce * Critical mental and physical care for Veterans * Reasonable college tuition for all students And if you believe you deserve a choice and that it’s time for real change. Vote for Will Cunningham on June 5th.[2] | ” | | —Will Cunningham for Congress[3] ## See also[edit] 2020 Elections What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub Government Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislature State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Newsletters Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station ## External links[edit] | Suggest a link | * Search Google News for this topic ## Footnotes[edit] 1. ↑ Will Cunningham for New Jersey, "Home," accessed March 7, 2018 2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. 3. ↑ Will for New Jersey, "Home," accessed March 7, 2018 [show] New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress Senators Cory Booker (D) Bob Menendez (D) Representatives District 1 Donald Norcross (D) District 2 Jeff Van Drew (R) District 3 Andrew Kim (D) District 4 Chris Smith (R) District 5 Josh Gottheimer (D) District 6 Frank Pallone (D) District 7 Tom Malinowski (D) District 8 Albio Sires (D) District 9 Bill Pascrell (D) District 10 Donald Payne (D) District 11 Mikie Sherrill (D) District 12 Bonnie Coleman (D) Democratic Party (12) Republican Party (2) v • e State of New Jersey Trenton (capital) | Elections | What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2022 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures Government | Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy