North Carolina Democrats will "dance in the end zone" in 2024, Roy Cooper predicts
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Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) speaks to Axios' Sophia Cai in Chicago yesterday. Photo: Taylor Glascock for Axios
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won North Carolina since former President Obama in 2008, but Gov. Roy Cooper is certain that it will happen again in November.
The big picture: Every four years, North Carolina Democrats are adamant that they can recreate Obama's first presidential win, and every year since then they've been wrong.
Yes, but: "I have a 2008 feeling about this," Cooper told Axios' Sophia Cai during an Axios House event at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday night.
- North Carolina is changing rapidly, and former president Trump won the state by just 1.3% in 2020.
- "We're going to be the wide receiver this year, and we're going to dance in the end zone," Cooper said.
Catch up quick: The governor pulled out of Vice President Kamala Harris' shortlist for a 2024 running mate last month.
- He had been viewed as a prime pick-up that could help secure a Democratic victory in North Carolina and, thus, significantly narrow Trump's path to the White House.
Between the lines: Election after election, Cooper has won statewide contests — from attorney general to governor — in years when the state's voters also elected Republicans like Trump to federal office.
- Cooper attributes his wins to meeting people where they are.
What he's saying: "I've had so many people say that they don't agree with me on everything, but they believe that I'm doing what I think is right, and I think you have to meet people where they are," Cooper said.
- The state has a lot of Democratic candidates doing the same thing year, he said.
Zoom in: North Carolina also has "the most important" governor's race in the country on the ballot with the "most extreme" Republican candidate, he said.
- Cooper slammed that gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and other statewide GOP candidates — calling state Attorney General hopeful, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop "part of the Marjorie Taylor Green cabal in Congress."
- He also criticized Michele Morrow, a Republican state superintendent candidate who was at the Jan. 6 insurrection and who urged Trump to use the military to stay in power, CNN reported.
What we're watching: Cooper, who declined to elaborate on his decision to back away from VP, did not rule out interest in a future cabinet position.
- He's also well-positioned to run for GOP U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis' seat in 2026.
- "I love public service, so I figured that something will find me," Cooper said.
Go deeper: All eyes on Gov. Roy Cooper, and his ability to keep N.C. in play for Democrats
