Cooper No Longer in V.P. Contention

Posted on July 30, 2024

Gov. Roy Cooper ’79 (’82 JD) has removed his name from the list of potential vice presidential running mates for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Cooper announced his decision Monday in a post on his X account.

Cooper said he was “honored to be considered” as Harris’ running mate but “this just wasn’t just the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”

Cooper reiterated his strong support for Harris’ presidential campaign in his post. “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,” he said.

Cooper made his decision, in large part, due to concerns that Republican lieutenant governor Mark Robinson would try to assume control if he left the state to campaign as part of the Democratic ticket, according to The Associated Press, which cited three people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The governor apparently withdrew from contention before Harris’ vetting process began and never submitted the requisite material, according to two of the sources, The AP reported.

Cooper has expressed concern about what Robinson might do if he left the state for extended periods for campaign travel, according to The AP article. Cooper’s legal team and some outside experts don’t think Robinson would actually assume the powers that accompany the governorship, such as issuing executive orders. Even so, Cooper was concerned enough, one of the sources said, to remove himself.

CNN reported July 23 that Harris’ campaign had asked for statements from Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly as part of a vetting process to join Harris on the ticket against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

Cooper joined the N.C. Legislature at age 29 when he was elected to represent the 72nd district in the House of Representatives. Before becoming governor, Cooper served four terms as the state’s attorney general and established a friendship with Harris, former attorney general of California. The two have made campaign appearances together, including this month in Fayetteville and Greensboro.

— Laurie D. Willis ’86