North Carolina Senate Candidate Roy Cooper’s Controversial Remarks

Recently, exclusive audio has surfaced featuring North Carolina Democrat Senate candidate Roy Cooper at a campaign event, where he suggested that criminals require “health care, not handcuffs.” This has drawn significant criticism, especially given his track record, which many view as lenient on crime. Cooper previously supported the largest mass prison release in North Carolina’s history and issued a 2020 executive order leading to cashless bail and other progressive policies.

In the audio, Cooper discusses his tenure as governor, claiming achievements like improvements in the state’s business ranking—though this is debatable, especially since he opposed tax cuts and teacher pay raises suggested by Republican leaders.

In a rather unusual assertion, he connected the expansion of Medicaid with providing health care to inmates instead of treating them with “handcuffs,” which raises questions about his priorities. It seems like he’s placing the rights of criminals above the interests of law-abiding citizens.

Cooper’s racial justice task force stated in a 2020 manifesto that North Carolina has the potential to “reimagine public safety,” emphasizing the need to link equity in the criminal justice system with broader societal issues. The report suggested promoting alternatives to arrest and that law enforcement should consider the long-term effects of a criminal record, advocating for citations rather than arrests.

This type of messaging aligns closely with what Cooper expressed in the audio, likely when he thought there were no cameras around. Since starting his campaign over a year ago, his rhetoric has seemingly pivoted away from critical discussions on affordability, which might be an attempt to sidestep the tough economic realities people are facing.

Aware of his trouble with crime-related issues, Cooper has run ads highlighting his past roles as attorney general and governor but has conveniently omitted any reference to the release of numerous convicted criminals or his mishandling of rape kit processing.

In North Carolina, corporate media have often provided Cooper a soft landing, allowing him to evade the challenges put forth by his opponent, Republican Michael Whatley, as well as external organizations.

At one event, Cooper declared, “Independent fact checks show most of what they’re saying is simply not true. I’m the only one in this race who’s actually prosecuted violent criminals and worked to keep them behind bars.” However, it hasn’t escaped attention that DeCarlos Brown, an alleged murderer of a Ukrainian refugee and one of those released from prison in 2021, appears on Cooper’s early release list.

Brown, who has been deemed mentally unfit to stand trial both in state and federal courts, had been arrested 14 times before and released each time due to leniency from local judges, who have adopted weak bail laws and lesser charges.

As previously reported, major law enforcement groups in North Carolina have distanced themselves from Cooper during his campaign. Notably, the NC Troopers Association, NC Police Benevolent Association, and NC Fraternal Order of Police have all endorsed Whatley. Furthermore, last week, the non-partisan National Border Patrol Council also supported Whatley, holding events throughout the state with their president, Paul Perez.