North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper has withdrawn from Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential sweepstakes.
“This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket. She has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins,” Cooper wrote in a social media post on Monday.
“Cooper, who previously served as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, was asked last week by the Harris campaign to be vetted for vice president but declined to participate, according to two people engaged in the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations,” the New York Times reported.
“The Cooper team reached out to the Harris campaign a week ago on Monday to say he did not want to be considered, one of the people said. It was the day after President Biden had left the race and endorsed Harris as his successor. Cooper harbored concerns that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a conservative Republican who is on the ballot this year to replace him, would mount a legal effort to usurp his executive authority while he was out of state, the two people said. Cooper did not believe Robinson would be successful but thought any such challenge would serve as a chaotic distraction had he been added to the ticket,” the outlet added.
Harris, the presumed Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, is expected to make her VP pick by Aug. 7.
A new report reveals that Harris may be down to three names: Gov. Roy Cooper, Gov. Andy Beshear, and Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“Of the five or six vice-presidential options currently seen as the most serious contenders, two of them — Governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Andy Beshear of Kentucky — directly overlapped with Ms. Harris as attorneys general. Now-Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania came into the job as she was leaving her post, and as Mr. Trump entered the White House,” the New York Times reported.
“Interviews with more than a dozen people who worked with Ms. Harris and those men at the time offer a window into her relationships with these possible running mates, and a snapshot of what each might bring — a steady, seasoned hand; political potency in an essential battleground state; or proven appeal in conservative territory. All would offer “balance” to the ticket along the lines of geography, ideology and executive experience,” the NYT added.
The NYT report continued: “These three men have also proved their ability to work in a way “that would benefit not only members of their party, but all of the residents in their states,” said Karl Racine, the former attorney general of Washington, D.C., who helped lead the Democratic Attorneys General Association during Ms. Harris’s tenure.”
Harris is reportedly narrowing down her list of possible running mates in case she wins the Democratic Party nomination next month.
Biden’s decision to exit the 2024 race on Sunday surprised Harris, according to CNN’s Jamie Gangel.
“And the first thing I’m told that they’re looking at is logistics. They have a campaign to put together. She has to see, as Phil was talking about earlier, whether anyone’s going to challenge her,” Gangel reported.
“The other thing is simply, you know, how does she get her name on the ballot? Yes, she is part of this infrastructure with the campaign and the convention, but this is a whole new game,” Gangel added.
To build enthusiasm and unify support for her candidacy, Gangel also revealed that Harris is examining a list of possible running partners, citing many sources close to the vice president.
One name on the list is Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), “who I am told she likes a-lot,” Gangel said. Kelly, as well as his wife, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, have already endorsed Harris’ candidacy.
Other candidates include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “There are clearly others, but those four names are the names I keep hearing about,” the CNN reporter added.
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