The allegation of sexual assault leveled against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden is starting to cause headaches for Democrats running in competitive down-ticket races that will decide which party controls Congress.
The North Carolina GOP on Thursday said Cal Cunningham, a Democrat running for the Senate, is trying to sidestep Tara Reade’s charge that Mr. Biden pinned her up against a wall and sexually assaulted her in 1993.
Mr. Biden, who was a senator then, is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
“His handling of Tara Reade’s allegations is just further evidence that Cal Cunningham has no core convictions and cannot be trusted to represent North Carolinians in the Senate,” said Sasha Duncan, spokesperson for the North Carolina GOP. “Cunningham clearly stands with radical liberals like Kirsten Gillibrand who only care about the #MeToo movement if they can use it to attack conservatives.”
Mr. Cunningham is running to unseat Sen. Thom Tillis. The race is considered a “toss-up.”
The North Carolina GOP said Mr. Cunningham “proudly attended the women’s marches” to show his support for the #MeToo movement and said he is now falling in line with “so-called ‘women’s groups’” — including Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice American — that have endorsed Mr. Biden while staying mum about the Reade allegations.
The Biden campaign has denied Ms. Reade’s allegation.
