North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has taken himself out of the running to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ potential running mate.
Cooper confirmed his withdrawal in a statement, saying he 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. 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,” he said.
A source familiar with Cooper’s thinking said the governor “sent a signal proactively” to Harris’ team on July 21 that he should not be considered for the role. He cited the belief that North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, would “cause chaos” and behave like an “acting governor” if Cooper were to leave the state to campaign, the source said.
Robinson, a Republican, is running to succeed Cooper as governor.
Cooper was among about a dozen individuals being vetted for the role, CBS News previously reported. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among the other names being considered.
At 67, Cooper was the oldest of the bunch.
He won both of his races for governor the same years that Trump won North Carolina. In his 2016 race, he beat Republican incumbent Pat McCrory, making him the first candidate to defeat a sitting governor in the state’s history. He is prevented by term limits from seeking a third term.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also indicated she is not interested in joining the ticket, telling “CBS Mornings” on Monday that she’s “not a part of the vetting” process.
“I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that I’m going to stay as governor until the end of my term at the end of 2026,” Whitmer said.
