David S. Cunningham, Jr.

David Surmier Cunningham, Jr., or Dave Cunningham, (born June 24, 1935) is a business executive who was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1973 to succeed Council Member Tom Bradley, who had been elected mayor that year. He represented the 10th district until 1987, when he resigned.

Cunningham was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Eulah Mae Lawson Cunningham and David S. Cunningham, Sr. He received an associate's degree from Stowe Teachers College in St. Louis, Missouri, and was in the U.S. Air Force as a cartographer until 1960. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from the University of California, Riverside, in 1962; the following year he did an internship as administrative aide to Assemblyman Charles Warren, and then moved to Lagos, Nigeria, to become West Africa regional manager for the DuKane Corporation. He was manager of community relations for Hughes in 1967. He earned a master's degree in urban studies from Occidental College in 1970.

He and his wife, Mary, had three children — David III, Leslie June and Robyn Elaine. He lived in Baldwin Hills, which was outside the 10th District, until June before his 1973 campaign for City Council, when he moved into an apartment in the district.

He was vice president of Cunningham, Short, Berryman and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in governmental and economic problems before his election to the City Council. He now owns Dave Cunningham and Associates, a political-consultant firm.

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