NC Gov. Cooper opts out of Harris' VP selection; had concerns about GOP lieutenant governor, sources say

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP/CBS News/WNCN) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper opted not to be a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search, two people familiar with the matter said Monday, in part because of concerns that his Republican lieutenant governor would assume control when he travels out of state if he were selected.

Cooper, 67, withdrew before Harris formally began soliciting vetting material from potential vice presidents, the sources said on Monday. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive search process. Harris’ search is ongoing and her teams of lawyers and political aides are still reviewing information on a narrowing list of potential candidates.

Cooper, the former chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, has been close to Harris since they were both state attorneys general. His potential selection was seen as a possible asset in shifting North Carolina – the Democrats’ only significant opportunity to expand on their 2020 map – into Harris’ hands.

Under the state constitution, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is the GOP’s nominee to replace the term-limited Cooper, becomes acting governor and can assume the Democrat’s powers when he travels out of state.

Cooper, according to one of the people, has expressed concern about what Robinson might do if he were to leave the state extensively for campaign travel.

Robinson is an ardent social conservative, who once called abortion “child sacrifice.” In various church pulpits, Robinson has asserted men as the rightful leaders in church and society. He once mused that leaders of the original birth control movement in the U.S. were “witches, all of ’em.” He has discussed LGBTQ people with words like “filth” and “maggots.”

Monday night Cooper released a statement about his decision but did not mention the Robinson angle:

“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President. I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket. As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper

The New York Times first reported that Cooper had withdrawn himself from the process, but did not detail the timing of his decision or his rationale. The Harris campaign declined to comment.

Spokespeople for Cooper didn’t immediately respond to emails and phone messages late Monday.

Cooper was among about a dozen individuals being vetted for the role, CBS News previously reported. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among the other names being considered.

At 67, Cooper was the oldest of the bunch.

He won both of his races for governor the same years that Trump won North Carolina.

In his 2016 race, he beat Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, making him the first candidate to defeat a sitting governor in the state’s history. He is prevented by term limits from seeking a third term.

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