What happened?
• Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina has withdrawn his name from consideration as Vice President Kamala Harris’s potential running mate for the 2024 presidential election. [newsweek.com, bloomberg.com, axios.com, independent.co.uk, politico.com, nbcnews.com, theguardian.com]
• Cooper cited concerns about his age, the potential for the Republican lieutenant governor to assume control in North Carolina if he was selected, and his desire to continue serving as governor as reasons for withdrawing. [newsweek.com, axios.com, independent.co.uk, politico.com]
• Cooper’s decision comes as Harris narrows her list of vice-presidential candidates, now being the presumptive Democratic nominee. Cooper was seen as a strong contender due to his political background and ability to appeal to a broad range of voters. [newsweek.com, bloomberg.com, axios.com]
• Harris’s campaign has remained secretive about the selection process, with a focus on thorough vetting of potential running mates. The compressed timeline adds pressure. [newsweek.com]
• Cooper’s exit raises questions about the challenges faced by potential running mates and the Democratic strategy for winning battleground states like North Carolina. [newsweek.com, axios.com]
What is conservative media saying?
• Harris currently has a lower favorability rating than President Biden and has been trailing behind Donald Trump in national polls. [breitbart.com]
• Harris currently has enough delegate support to win the Democratic nomination. Most of her potential running mates have a history of winning competitive elections. [newsmax.com, washingtonexaminer.com]
• Initial candidate interviews for the VP position are being conducted over phone calls. Several of Harris’s VP hopefuls have already started campaigning. [washingtonexaminer.com]
What is liberal media saying?
• Harris’ team is considering Josh Shapiro, Mark Kelly, Tim Walz, Andy Beshear, and Pete Buttigieg as potential running mates. [politico.com, independent.co.uk, theguardian.com, nbcnews.com]
• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gained traction by criticizing Trump and Vance, with Harris adopting his “weird” messaging against the GOP ticket. [nbcnews.com]
• Michigan Governor Whitmer confirmed she has not been vetted for VP and expects Harris to announce her pick soon. [theguardian.com]
• Cooper is a moderate Democrat with a successful record who could help flip the swing state of North Carolina for Democrats. [independent.co.uk, politico.com]
• Potential running mates like Shapiro have campaigned for Harris, describing her as tough and ready. Harris has also campaigned with Shapiro and is potentially considering Kelly for support in Arizona. [politico.com, independent.co.uk, theguardian.com]
• Cooper criticized Trump’s running mate Vance, calling him a “mini-me”. Beshear pledged to support Harris until Election Day. [politico.com, theguardian.com]
• Harris plans to announce her running mate by August 7. [nbcnews.com]
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/cooper-withdraws-from-harris-vice-president-search-215946309623
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/harris-roy-cooper-vice-president-2024-election
https://www.newsweek.com/roy-cooper-withdraws-vice-president-shortlist-kamala-harris-1931762
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/29/roy-cooper-harris-vp-out-00171754
https://dailycaller.com/2024/07/29/roy-cooper-pulls-out-running-kamala-harris-vice-president
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/roy-cooper-north-carolina-kamala-harris/2024/07/29/id/1174433
