OAN Staff James Meyers
11:22 AM – Tuesday, July 30, 2024
North Carolina Democrat Governor Roy Cooper issued a statement on Monday night, announcing that he will be removing himself from the race to become Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 November election.
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She is currently the presumed Democrat nominee.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President. I know she’s going to win and 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 said in a post on X.
“As l’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 added.
According to CNN, Cooper was first approached by the Harris campaign in regards to being vetted, but he declined.
Cooper was the oldest candidate under consideration by the Harris campaign and he reportedly has a somewhat close friendship with the VP, dating all the way back to when they were both serving as attorneys general of their affiliated states.
However, the governor’s age was seen to be a disadvantage by some Democrats, as Harris has pushed for a younger ticket, according to multiple sources.
Additionally, there was a major concern among Democrats about promoting Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican lieutenant governor who would take over for Cooper while he is absent from his duties.
Meanwhile, other possible contenders to become Harris’s running mate includes Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, all Democrats.
Harris could become the Democrat presidential nominee as soon as Thursday, with DNC delegates to vote for her via a virtual roll call ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which begins on August 19th in Chicago, Illinois.
According to the DNCC’s rules, a plan was passed that requires the presidential nominee to be selected by August 7th, but a vice presidential nomination does not adhere to the same deadline.
The window to declare intent to run for the presidential nomination has now closed and Harris has emerged as the only competitive challenger. She has secured commitments from enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee if they all stay true to their commitment when voting, according to ABC News.
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