North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, announced on Monday that he was declining to be Harris’ running mate in the November election.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for president. I know she will win, and I am honored that she has been selected for this role,” Cooper said in a statement.
“Now just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina or for me to run for office on a national level,” he continued. “As I’ve said all along, she has a great team of people to choose from and we’ll work to make sure she wins.”
Cooper’s decision narrows the list of Democrats who could run alongside Harris ahead of the Aug. 7 deadline for her to nominate her running mate.
of First reported by The New York Times Regarding Cooper’s decision.
Other candidates under consideration include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (Democrat), Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (Democrat), Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
As Harris and her campaign narrow down their running mate, Cooper, a Democrat, is also being scrutinized for his ability to win elections in battleground states, his leadership in passing Medicaid expansion in the state and his experience as attorney general.
But some Democrats were concerned about a state law that would mean that whenever Cooper leaves the state, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who has been in the spotlight for his inflammatory remarks, would become acting governor. At 67, Cooper is younger than Republican nominee Donald Trump but older than Harris.
