North Carolina Governor Cooper Will Not Be Harris’ Vice Presidential Pick
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper removed himself from consideration as Kamala Harris’ potential vice presidential nominee on the Democratic Party’s 2024 Election ticket. According to a report in the New York Times, Harris informed her campaign of the news earlier today.
“This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” the two-term governor posted on social media. “As I’ve said from the beginning,” Cooper said of Harris, “she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all make sure she wins.”
“North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper opted not to be a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search, in part because of concerns that his Republican lieutenant governor would assume control when he travels out of state if he were selected,” the AP reports.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is running against state Attorney General Josh Stein for governor, and most polls show the race within the margin of error.
Cooper’s decision could keep North Carolina out of reach than Democrats would like, but recent polls suggest that each swing state is closer than when Biden was on the ticket. Other potential VP choices being vetted include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg has been mentioned, but his home state of Indiana is considered a deep red state. Without Cooper on the ticket, Democrats will have to work even harder on the ground to regain the state in a presidential race. Cooper could have touted his ability to govern by comprising and reaching across the aisle with Republicans who controlled the state house and state senate. Ultimately, the entire election could come down to North Carolina and Georgia.
