The New York Times reported Monday evening that Gov. Roy Cooper has withdrawn from the vetting process to become Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate for the White House. A little more than an hour later, Cooper confirmed the report with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Citing two people familiar with the matter, the Times reported it was not immediately clear why Cooper had pulled out of the process. Politico cited anonymous sources who said Cooper's age, desire to run for the US Senate in 2026, and his concerns about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson making mischief in the state while he's away campaigning all played a role.
"I 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," he wrote.
— Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) July 30, 2024
He was reportedly one of the half-dozen or so people Harris was seriously considering, along with Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
According to Cooper's official schedule, he plans on Tuesday to visit the Green Swamp Preserve with EPA Administrator Michael Regan to talk about federal grants for preserving land in North Carolina.