North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Withdraws from Consideration for Kamala Harris Running Mate

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced on Monday night that he is withdrawing from consideration for the vice presidential slot on Kamala Harris’ 2024 ticket. In a statement posted on X, Cooper expressed his strong support for Harris and her presidential campaign, acknowledging that while he was honored to be considered, it was not the right time for him to join the national ticket.
“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,” Cooper wrote. He added, “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.”
Shortly after his announcement, Cooper participated in a grassroots organizing call, “White Dudes for Harris,” where he focused on boosting Harris’ candidacy but did not directly address his withdrawal from the vice presidential consideration. He emphasized the importance of Harris’ leadership, stating, “We know that this country needs Kamala Harris more than ever right now, and we can hold the key now.”
Cooper had previously endorsed Harris on July 21, expressing his belief in her ability to defeat Donald Trump and lead the country with integrity. As former chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, Cooper was considered a strong contender to help expand the Democratic Party’s reach into swing states.
If Cooper had joined Harris’ campaign, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson would have assumed the governorship while Cooper was on the campaign trail. Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, is running against Democratic nominee, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.
Other potential vice presidential candidates for Harris include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Harris is expected to be nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate as early as Thursday, with DNC delegates set to vote virtually ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Chicago on August 19. The DNC’s Rules Committee has set a deadline of August 7 for the presidential nominee selection, though the vice presidential pick may not be bound by the same timeline. Nonetheless, Democratic leaders anticipate that Harris will choose her running mate by that date.
With the window for presidential candidacies now closed, Harris remains the only competitive contender. She has secured sufficient delegate commitments to become the presumptive nominee, with several state parties announcing their support for her at the convention.