North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper speaking at a Biden-Harris campaign rally earlier this year. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
The New York Times and CNN are reporting that North Carolina’s Gov. Roy Cooper has withdrawn from consideration to be the running mate for the all-but-certain Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The reporting by the two national outlets — both of which cited unnamed sources — seems to confirm a story posted this morning by Bloomberg that Harris’s team had narrowed their focus to three potential candidates: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.
It has long been common for potential candidates seeking to be selected for high governmental posts to withdraw ahead of time when they receive word that they will not get the nod.
As NC Newsline previously reported, Cooper was considered a strong contender for the position given his status as a popular Democratic governor in a toss-up state that has almost always voted Republican in recent presidential elections. That he is nearing the end of his second term, cannot run again this fall, and has a longstanding relationship with Harris dating back to their years as North Carolina and California attorneys general were also considered strong selling points.
Some observers, however, have noted that at 67, Cooper is the oldest of the potential candidates and is not known as an especially gifted orator. The fact that North Carolina law makes the state’s Lt. Governor the “acting governor” when the real governor is out of the state was also seen by some as a potential liability, given that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is the Republican nominee for the state’s highest office in the fall.
NC Newsline reached out to Gov. Cooper’s office Monday evening seeking a comment on the reports and will update this developing story if and when there is a response.