North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has informed Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign that he does not want to be under consideration in her search for a vice presidential candidate, he said Monday night.
Cooper said in a statement explaining his decision that although he was taking himself out of consideration, he’s still backing Harris’ candidacy.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President,” Cooper said. “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.
“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 added.
The New York Times first reported that Cooper was withdrawing his name from consideration.
A source familiar with the situation told NBC News that Cooper was asked to provide information for the vetting process and declined to do so. His team was aware of the potential complication of a state law that might allow the lieutenant governor to take over in the absence of the governor, but his team has given no ground on its interpretation of the law — specifically that as long as the governor is still in communication, the lieutenant governor cannot take over — according to the source.
A source directly involved in Harris’ search for a running mate said Cooper took himself out of the mix because he wants to run for the Senate in 2026. The source said Cooper, 67, never indicated to the campaign that he wanted to be vice president and told Harris aides that he did not want to be considered.
NBC News has reported that interviews with some Democratic insiders p o inted t o Coo per, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as top contenders to join Harris on the Democratic ticket.
Other governors, including Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Minnesota’s Tim Walz, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among those who have also been floated as potential running mates.
The Harris campaign ha s s aid she plans to select a running mate by Aug. 7.
President Joe Biden, 81, exited the race on July 21 and endorsed Harris, 59, the same day.
Donald Trump, 78, the Republican presidential nominee, announced his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio , two weeks ago. Vance turns 40 next month.
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