North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who had been on a short list of possible running mates for Vice President Kamala Harris, withdrew himself from consideration for the No. 2 spot, he said on social media late Monday. Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. And Cooper, a longtime friend and political ally of Harris, was seen as a possible vice presidential pick in part because he has been able to win over moderates in a state that tends to vote for Republican presidential candidates. Harris’s team is still vetting a number of other vice presidential candidates. She is believed to be considering U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and others.
Two sources directly involved in Harris’s search for a running mate told NBC News that Cooper informed the Harris campaign that he didn’t want to be considered for the position.
One person told NBC that Cooper took himself out of the mix because he wants to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, when incumbent Republican Thom Tillis could seek a third term. The person said Cooper never indicated to the campaign that he wanted to be vice president.
The governor withdrew well before Harris' vetting process began and never submitted the requisite material, two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive search process.
Cooper, the former chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, is term-limited and can’t run for governor a third time. He hasn’t lost an election in his political career, and managed to win his gubernatorial races in years when Republicans carried North Carolina. His term expires in January.
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