NC Democratic leaders pushing for Gov. Cooper as VP pick

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Governor Roy Cooper is now officially being vetted as part of Kamala Harris' search for a Vice Presidential running mate.

Cooper joins several other Democrats, including Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as top contenders.

As the Governor of a key battleground state Democrats believe they can flip, someone who won twice on the same ballot as Donald Trump, and someone who has a long history working with Kamala Harris from their days as Attorneys General.

Cooper himself has remained quiet about the process and whether he wants the job, but now some prominent local leaders are working to hype him up and make the case for him.

"I've been a big Roy Cooper fan for decades," said Congresswoman Deborah Ross. "I knew him back in the legislature we did a lot of work together."

Ross started a trend on X, of Democrats posting pictures of themselves with Cooper with the caption, "I know who I'd pick for VP." Dozens of others, including Rep. Wiley Nickel, Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, and multiple state lawmakers and local leaders joined in.

Party chair Anderson Clayton said it's getting a lot of buzz in the political world.

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"The legacy that he's had throughout the state and coming from a place in the state eastern North Carolina, Rocky Mount, Nash County, he's representing in every way."

"I think anyone who the Vice President picks to be her choice is going to be the strongest choice possible and we trust her judgment full force, but you know we're battling it out for the hometown ground," Clayton said. "I think it's important for us, especially in North Carolina, we're a state that we protect our own and also support our own in a lot of ways, and even the conversations I've seen my hometown in Person County in Facebook it would be nice to see one of ours in a position like that."

Clayton believes there is enthusiasm on the ground for Harris' candidacy, but that Cooper on the ticket would make it easier to win the state, and also give North Carolina more national recognition and an ear to the White House.

Rep. Nickel, who represents a swing district, said Cooper is the most strategic choice.

"He's a moderate. He's someone who's a governor for Democrats, Republicans and independents. I think anybody who's watching knows he's somebody that is working for everybody. And I think that's important to focus on that message of bipartisan accomplishments," Nickel said.

"He knows how to bring people together. He has had tremendous work come out of his cabinet officials, look at Medicaid expansion, the only state to expand Medicaid in a decade, and it would just be wonderful to have his smarts and his energy on the national stage," said Rep. Deborah Ross.

Political experts say he already has a good relationship with Kamala Harris and could help give her a boost in what they say could be an uphill battle to become the first female president.

"There's already people saying or asking the perennial question, is America ready for a Black female president?" said NCCU political science professor Dr. Jarvis Hall.

Hall being from the South, said Cooper would geographically balance the ticket and broaden Harris' potential base with swing voters.

"He may be in a position where he can draw and capture the very voters she needs to win this election," Hall said.

And as the Veepstakes reaches the halls of power, Cooper's fans are reaching out to anyone who'll listen.

"He's the real deal and he can help us win," Ross said.

The last time a North Carolinian was on the ticket was Senator John Edwards in 2004. The Kerry-Edwards ticket lost North Carolina and the election to George W. Bush.

But 20 years later, the politics of our state are much different. Democrats are confident they can win in North Carolina for the first time since 2008 when Barack Obama carried the state, and Cooper would only help with that.

Meanwhile, state Republicans tell ABC11 in the statement they're not worried about Cooper impacting their ability to hold the state for Trump, saying "Adding Roy Cooper does nothing to fix the problems Democrats have at the top of the ticket. Kamala Harris is weak, failed, incompetent, and dangerous and owns every decision of the Biden administration."