North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is reportedly a candidate to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Cooper, 67, is a staunch supporter of Harris and has served as North Carolina’s 75th governor since 2017.
Prior to being elected to the state’s highest elected office, Cooper, a native of Nashville, North Carolina, served for 16 years as the Tar Heel State’s attorney general, from 2001 to 2017.
Before entering politics, Cooper attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was elected president of the university’s Young Democrats. He later earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1982.
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, July 18, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
While Cooper was in law school, then-North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt appointed him to the State Goals and Policy Board. At the time, he was the youngest member to serve on the board. Additionally, Hunt, the state’s 69th and 71st governor, appointed Cooper to the Interim Balanced Growth Board and the North Carolina 2000 Commission.
In 1985, Cooper filed paperwork to run for the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the state’s 72nd District. He won that election in 1986, defeating Allen Barbee, his 12-term Democratic primary opponent.
Cooper continued his law studies during his time in the state House of Representatives. In 1991, following the death of state Sen. Jim Ezzell in a car accident, Cooper was appointed to fill the remainder of Ezzell’s Senate term. Six years later, he was elected state Senate Majority Leader following the resignation of then-leader Richard Conder.
Cooper was elected to the North Carolina Bar Board of Governors, a position he held until 2002.
Cooper filed paperwork to run for state attorney general in January 2000. He defeated Republican Dan Boyce in the November 2000 general election. Cooper took office in January 2001 and was re-elected to the office in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
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Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks in Durham, N.C., March 1, 2024. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In 2016, Cooper ran for governor of North Carolina. He defeated Republican Pat McCrory in the state’s general election. In 2020, he was re-elected as governor against Dan Forest, the state’s lieutenant governor and Republican candidate.
Cooper, a proponent of many liberal policies and proposals, has worked to present himself as a moderate among his fellow Democrats. But he has struggled to do so in a state that former President Donald Trump won in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
During his tenure as governor, Cooper has repeatedly battled the Republican-led state legislature. In October 2023, he sued Republican state lawmakers over a measure that eliminated his authority to elect election board members.
Cooper has also vetoed numerous measures passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, many of which have been overridden by Republicans.
In recent weeks, many political strategists and pundits have considered Cooper a reliable choice for Harris as a running mate in the 2024 White House race.
Just days after President Biden announced his decision to step aside from the presidential race and endorse Harris for the post, Cooper campaigned for Harris at a Democratic field office in Raleigh.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper speaks at a news conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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“North Carolinians are going to make a difference this year, folks,” Cooper said at the time.
“There are a lot of people he can choose from, and he’s going to make the right choice,” he added. “I just want him to choose the person who gives him the best chance of winning.”
