Harris' hype man: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper delivered the final speech ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night in Chicago, cementing his position as one of the party's biggest stars.
Why it matters: Cooper's prime-time speech — a coveted slot on the final night of the convention — comes on the heels of a monthlong flurry of national attention on the term-limited governor and this swing state, which Democrats hope to win in November.
- It's yet another sign of the focus this year on North Carolina, which former President Trump won in 2020 by just 1.3%.
- "Hello, America. I'm Roy Cooper, the last guy standing between you and the moment we're all waiting for," Cooper began.
Driving the news: A frequent surrogate and loyal soldier for the entirety of the Biden-Harris administration, Cooper hosted President Joe Biden and Harris in North Carolina a combined 11 times this year before Biden dropped out of the race.
- Since then, Cooper's become a hype man for Harris.
- In Thursday night's speech, and in a speech he gave ahead of her Raleigh event last week, Cooper detailed his experience working with Harris when they were both attorneys general.
- "Harris went toe-to-toe with some of the world's most powerful executives," Cooper said Thursday night, recounting their time fighting big banks, as Americans were losing their homes to illegal foreclosures in 2011.
- "That was the first time I witnessed Kamala in action, and what I saw was a leader who does exactly what she says she's going to do, who never will settle for less."
Flashback: Cooper rapidly rose in national prominence after President Biden ended his campaign last month.
- The governor was reportedly among those Harris considered tapping to run alongside her, though he ultimately withdrew his name from the short-list of vice presidential contenders.
The intrigue: In his four decades in office, Cooper has never lost a race, and he's one of the remaining reasons North Carolina is still considered a swing state.
- Election after election, he's won statewide contests — from state attorney general to governor to second-term governor — in years when the state's voters also chose Republicans like former President Trump for federal office.
Between the lines: Asked about his political future at an Axios House event at the DNC this week, Cooper deflected, saying "I love public service, so I figured that something will find me."
The bottom line: In a state that could decide the presidential race, Cooper will be a powerful surrogate as his party eyes a win in the state for the first time since 2008.