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Joe Cunningham

Democrat, South Carolina
Former US House of Representatives

Cunningham was initially born and raised in Kentucky. He transferred to a university in Florida and eventually graduated with a degree before practicing as an attorney and ocean engineer before getting into politics. Joe Cunningham is 43 years old. Based on voting history, policy positions, and public statements, Joe Cunningham demonstrates a Somewhat Right political bias. Compare Joe Cunningham with other politicians in our Politician Bias Chart.

Analyst Rating
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Biasly’s analyst team evaluates politician twitter accounts, voting records, and statements made in the press to determine leanings. Our diverse analyst team includes equal representation from conservative, center, and liberal viewpoints on every article we rate.

Somewhat Left

A.I. Policy Leanings
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Our policy leanings for Joe Cunningham show what policies Joe supports and opposes including Joe's conservative and liberal leanings based on the news.

20% Somewhat Right

Extremely
Liberal

Very
Liberal

Moderately
Liberal

Somewhat Liberal

Center

Somewhat Conservative

Moderately
Conservative

Very
Conservative

Extremely
Conservative

-100%
Liberal

100%
Conservative

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.

A.I. Media Portrayal
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The A.I. media portrayal of Joe Cunningham shows how positively or negatively the media portrays Joe. Negative and positive sentiment scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores showing that more media companies see Joe in a negative light and higher positive scores showing that more media companies see Joe in a positive light.

63% positive

Joe Cunningham’s Policy Stances:

Left
Center
Right
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Gov. Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Government Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
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  • Stances

  • Media Portrayal

  • Policy Leanings

  • News Mentions

  • Creations

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  • Criminal Justice

    Somewhat Left

    Joe Cunningham takes a balanced and moderate stance on criminal justice issues. He supports criminal justice reform, including ending the racial disparities in marijuana enforcement, legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, and expunging the criminal records of people with low-level marijuana convictions. However, he also supports capital punishment for certain crimes and opposes mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders. Overall, Cunningham's criminal justice policy leans Somewhat Left.
    Source: Vote Smart

  • Economy

    Somewhat Right

    According to the article, Congressman Joe Cunningham has a Somewhat Right stance on the economy, particularly when it comes to the minimum wage. While he supports raising the federal minimum wage, he opposes the proposed $15 per hour increase, arguing that it would harm small businesses and the tourism-dependent economy of his district. Cunningham believes a more moderate increase to $10-$12 per hour would be more appropriate for South Carolina. This position places him slightly to the right of his party on this economic issue.
    Source: Post and Courier

  • Education

    Medium Left

    Joe Cunningham has a liberal stance on education policy. He proposes raising starting teacher salaries by nearly 40% over the next decade, providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave for public school teachers, decreasing class sizes, and increasing support staff like counselors and social workers. Cunningham also wants to expand the Teaching Fellows Program to recruit more high school students into the teaching profession. Overall, his education platform focuses on improving teacher pay and working conditions to address the teacher shortage crisis in South Carolina.
    Source: Ballotpedia

  • Energy

    Somewhat Left

    Joe Cunningham has a Somewhat Left stance on energy policy. He supports state funding for the development of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, and voted in favor of legislation to assist rural electric cooperatives in expanding renewable energy. However, he has not taken an explicit stance on issues like regulating greenhouse gas emissions or increasing funding for clean drinking water initiatives. Overall, Cunningham appears to favor government investment in renewable energy while maintaining a more moderate approach on other energy and environmental issues.
    Source: e&e news

  • Government Dependency

    Center

    Based on the information available, there is no clear indication of Joe Cunningham's policy stance on government dependency. The sources do not provide any specific quotes or positions from Cunningham on this issue. Without any direct evidence, it is not possible to determine where he leans on the conservative-liberal scale regarding government dependency. The available information is insufficient to summarize his position or indicate his level of leaning on this policy topic.
    Source: Vote Smart

  • Healthcare

    Somewhat Left

    Based on the information provided in the Vote Smart Political Courage Test, Joe Cunningham's stance on healthcare appears to be Somewhat Left. He supports increasing state funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse, as well as expanding paid family and medical leave opportunities. Additionally, he indicates support for lowering the cost of prescription drugs. However, he does not explicitly state support for a government-run, single-payer healthcare program. Overall, Cunningham's healthcare policy positions lean Somewhat Left.
    Source: Vote Smart

  • Immigration

    Somewhat Left

    According to the Vote Smart survey, Joe Cunningham opposes the border wall and supports a pathway to legal status for most immigrants currently in the country illegally. He also believes that immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children should be allowed to remain and apply for legal status. Overall, Cunningham's stance on immigration appears to be Somewhat Left.
    Source: Pew Research Center

  • National Security

    Somewhat Left

    Based on the information from Vote Smart, Congressman Joe Cunningham has a Somewhat Left stance on national security issues. He has voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2021, which authorized $740 billion in military spending, citing concerns over the bill's inclusion of spending for foreign military interventionism that does not make America safer. Cunningham has also supported measures to limit the president's war powers and restrict indefinite military detention without trial, indicating a more restrained approach to national security compared to more hawkish conservatives.
    Source: Vote Smart

  • Reduce Budget Deficit

    Somewhat Left

    Joe Cunningham has taken a fiscally responsible stance on reducing the budget deficit. He has been recognized as a "Fiscal Hero" by the nonpartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt for his efforts to promote fiscal responsibility. Cunningham has stated that getting the country's fiscal house in order will require bipartisan cooperation and tough choices, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. He supports measures to reduce the deficit, such as negotiating lower drug prices and expanding Medicaid, which he believes will create jobs and boost the economy without raising taxes. Based on this, Cunningham's policy leaning on reducing the budget deficit can be considered Somewhat Left.
    Source: abc news

  • War on Drugs

    Somewhat Left

    Joe Cunningham supports legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana in South Carolina, both for medical and recreational use. He believes this would create new revenue streams for the state, expunge criminal records for low-level marijuana offenses, and provide relief for those suffering from chronic illnesses. Cunningham's stance on the war on drugs appears to be Somewhat Left, as he advocates for ending the prohibition on marijuana while still acknowledging the potential societal costs associated with drug use.
    Source: Charleston City Paper

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Our politician ratings are based on recent news using data science and A.I. technology. We analyze hundreds of articles published by news sources daily to determine politicians and policy leanings.