Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is planning to launch a run for Senate, according to two sources familiar with his plans, handing Democrats a top candidate in a state that will be central to the fight for the majority.
Axios, which broke the news of Cooper’s expected bid, reported that he is expected to officially enter the race next week, according to multiple sources.
Morgan Jackson, Cooper’s top political advisor, would not confirm Cooper’s plans but said that the former governor would share more about his plans in the coming days. Cooper is also listed as a speaker at the North Carolina Democratic Party’s “Unity Dinner” on Saturday.
Democrats have long touted Cooper, 68, as a formidable candidate, given his record of winning statewide races in the perennial battleground state.
“North Carolina is one of the most competitive races in the country and Roy Cooper would be a force to be reckoned with if he enters the field,” said Lauren French, a spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel launched a Senate bid in April, but it’s not clear if he’ll stay in the race if Cooper jumps in. Nickel told Spectrum News, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” when asked about the prospect that Cooper could run for Senate.
Cooper was first elected governor in 2016 after serving four terms as the state’s attorney general. He defeated the Republican governor at the time, Pat McCrory, by around 10,000 votes even as President Donald Trump won the state by nearly 4 points. Cooper won a second term in 2020 by 4 points while Trump again carried North Carolina by 1 point. Term limits barred Cooper from running for a third term last year.
Democrats all but have to win North Carolina to have any hope of netting the four seats they need to take control of the Senate next year, with Republicans defending a 53-47 majority.
North Carolina and Maine are Democrats’ two best pickup opportunities, with former Vice President Kamala Harris carrying Maine last year and losing North Carolina by 3 percentage points. After those two states, Democrats would have to flip two more that Trump won by double digits, while also holding onto their own seats in competitive states.
The Republican field in North Carolina is in flux after Sen. Thom Tillis’ surprise announcement that he would not seek re-election. Tillis had drawn Trump’s ire for opposing the party’s sweeping tax and spending bill, warning that cuts to Medicaid would harm North Carolinians.
Republicans are watching to see if Lara Trump — the president’s daughter-in-law, former Republican National Committee co-chair and current Fox News host — could run for the seat. She recently told NBC News that she plans to decide on a Senate campaign by Thanksgiving, noting the decision is especially weighty because of her young family.
Other potential GOP candidates include current RNC chair Michael Whatley, who previously led the state party in North Carolina, as well as Republican Reps. Pat Harrigan and Greg Murphy.
Garrett Haake contributed.
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