Who is Roy Cooper? What to know about the North Carolina governor and possible VP pick

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is reportedly a contender to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

Cooper, 67, is a staunch Harris supporter who has served as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017.

Prior to being elected to the state’s highest elected office, Cooper, a native of Nashville, North Carolina, served a 16-year stint as the Tar Heel State’s attorney general from 2001 to 2017.

Prior to entering politics, Cooper attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was elected to serve as the president of the university’s Young Democrats. He later earned a doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1982.

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During Cooper’s time 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 Balance 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 incumbent Democratic primary challenger.

Cooper continued his legal studies during his time in the state House. In 1991, following the death of state Sen. Jim Ezzell in a car crash, Cooper was appointed to serve the remainder of Ezzell’s Senate term. Six years later, he was elected majority leader of the state Senate following then-leader Richard Conder’s resignation.

Cooper went on to be elected to the North Carolina Bar Association’s Board of Governors, a role he held until 2002.

Cooper filed paperwork to run as the state’s attorney general in January 2000. He defeated Republican Dan Boyce in the Nov. 2000 general election. Cooper took office in January 2001 and won re-election to the position in 2004, 2008, and 2012.

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Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks in Durham, North Carolina, on March 1, 2024. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

In 2016, Cooper sought election to serve as the governor of North Carolina. He defeated incumbent Republican Pat McCrory in the state’s general election. He went on to win re-election as governor in 2020 against Dan Forest, the state’s lieutenant governor and Republican nominee.

Cooper, an advocate for many liberal policies and proposals, has worked to portray himself as a moderate among his Democrat cohorts. He has had difficulty in doing so, however, in a state former President Donald Trump carried 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 state GOP lawmakers over a measure that eliminated his authority to pick elections board members.

Cooper has also vetoed numerous measures that passed through the North Carolina General Assembly, many of which have been overridden by Republicans.

In recent weeks, Cooper has been seen by many political strategists and insiders as 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 in the presidential race and endorsed Harris for the role, Cooper stumped for Harris at a Democrat field office in Raleigh.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., on April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

“North Carolinians will make a difference this year, folks,” Cooper said at the time.

“There are a lot of people that she can choose, she’s going to make the right choice,” he added. “I just want her to choose the person who is going to give her the best chance to win.”