North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper withdraws from consideration for Harris’ VP nomination

CNN
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Roy Cooper said Monday it’s not the right time for him to join a national ticket, as two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN the North Carolina governor had withdrawn from consideration as Kamala Harris’ running mate, in a sign the fast-paced search has entered a new phase.

Harris’s decision on a running mate could come within a week, two people familiar with the matter said, with Harris aiming to make an announcement before Aug. 7. She plans to have private conversations with top contenders, sources said, but it was not clear whether those discussions have begun.

“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for president. I know she will win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This simply wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” Cooper said in a statement posted to his personal X account. “As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an excellent list of people to choose from, and we will all work to ensure she wins.”

Cooper was approached by the Harris campaign to be investigated, but he declined, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The governor, whose friendship with Harris dates back to when they served as attorneys general in their respective states, was also the oldest candidate under consideration. His age, 67, was seen by some Democrats as being at odds with Harris’s push for a vigorous, younger ticket, the sources said.

There was also concern among some Democrats about the promotion of Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican lieutenant governor, who under the state constitution would serve as governor when he is absent from the state.

Other Democrats in the state and Washington, DC, told CNN that Cooper may instead consider a 2026 Senate race for the seat currently held by Republican Thom Tillis.

Extensive polling and surveys are underway for other top Democratic vice presidential candidates, sources said, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are also seen as possible running mates.

CNN reached out to a representative for Cooper. The Harris campaign declined to comment.

On a “White Dudes for Harris” Zoom call to rally support for the vice president on Monday night, Cooper praised Harris’s record, calling her a “strong woman” the nation needs.

“Kamala Harris is a strong woman. She will run this country in a way that she cares about the pocketbook. … She will work to clean up our environment. She will work to make sure people have quality health care and education. That’s the kind of person we need,” he said on the call.

Cooper did not mention that he would no longer be considered as a possible running mate for Harris.

Cooper, who was seen as a top contender for the role, leads a state that is a crucial battleground in 2024. He was first elected narrowly in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes. He was reelected in 2020 and is out of the running for a third term. He endorsed Harris earlier this month, saying she “has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity.”

Throughout his tenure as governor, Cooper has clashed with lawmakers in the state legislature, where Republicans hold a supermajority, over abortion rights and voting rights, among other issues.

Cooper had previously dismissed speculation that he could be on the shortlist for vice presidential candidate if President Joe Biden steps away from his re-election campaign and Harris becomes the nominee.

“I don’t want to get into this new favorite political game, because it’s so important for America to stop Donald Trump,” Cooper told CNN in July.

After Biden announced he would step down and endorsed Harris, a wave of endorsements from state delegations made her the presumptive Democratic nominee.

The Democratic National Committee’s rules panel last week adopted the rules the party will use to choose its presidential nominee, with voting to officially nominate Harris likely to begin on Aug. 1. The party has said its goal is to nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates by Aug. 7.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Dianne Gallagher, Edward-Isaac Dovere and Ebony Davis contributed to this story.