North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is no longer under consideration for Kamala Harris’ Vice President role after officially withdrawing.
The exiting governor issued a statement on X reassuring voters of his strong support of Harris but stating it isn’t the right time for North Carolina. “I know she’s going to win, and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just isn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” he wrote.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins.”
Although Cooper is on the last leg of his two-term tenure as governor, he is still thinking of what’s best for the Tar Heel state. Before officially leaving, a close source said Cooper allegedly gave a signal to the Harris campaign that he would be eliminating himself due to believing the state’s lieutenant governor and GOP gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, would “cause chaos” and behave like an “acting governor” if Cooper were to step away.
As a popular contender for vice president amongst voters, some took to social
media to express sadness about Cooper dropping out but issued understanding. @jordancmeadows wrote, “Roy Cooper for SCOTUS!” while @brunochieco6 alluded to the 67-year-old preparing for a Senate run. “You made the right decision, Governor,” he said. “You would have made an exceptional VP but go and win your Senate Race in ‘26!”According to Politico, Cooper may have been a favorite with Democrats due to his ability to stand firm on hot-breaded issues such as women’s rights, gun control, and healthcare.
One of his many signature legislative achievements came in 2023 when he expanded Medicaid after almost 10 years
of GOP opposition, providing health insurance to half a million low-income North Carolina residents. He also has no issue standing up to GOP-extremist legislators like Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Cooper called Vance a “trump mini-me” in an interview and said he wasn’t surprised by his selection. “It’s pretty clear Trump chose someone in his own image. Sort of a mini-me,” the governor said.“When you look at someone who supports an abortion ban across the board, with no exceptions; some of the tapes that have come out on him talking about childless parents. Those kinds of things are not going to play well in North Carolina or anywhere across the country.”
In the interim, Harris still has some strong contenders in the running as the country awaits her vice president selection. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are allegedly still being considered.