Roy Cooper officially entered the race for North Carolina’s Senate seat on Monday, announcing his candidacy with a video posted to social media.
“Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore,” said Cooper, who had been expected to launch his bid Monday.
Cooper jumped into the race after Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced last month he wouldn’t seek reelection after President Donald Trump publicly attacked him for voting not to advance his “big, beautiful bill.” Democrats were desperate for Cooper to make his announcement, noting his in-state popularity and his ability to draw in major donors.
In the video, the former two-term Democratic governor focused on the middle class as he said he has “had enough” of politicians in Washington raising the national debt, “disrespecting” veterans and putting Medicaid and Social Security “at risk.”
Cooper’s highly anticipated announcement opens the door for Democrats to try to claw some control back in the upper chamber. They’ve been unable to win over the battleground state since 2008, despite maintaining control of the governor’s mansion with Cooper and his successor Josh Stein.
Cooper played up his time serving in state politics in his announcement video, noting he “prosecuted criminals and took on scammers, big banks and drug companies” when he served as the state’s attorney general before working with Republicans to balance the state budget and expand Medicaid when he was governor.
“I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here where I’ve lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times,” Cooper said. Still, he added, he believes “our best days are ahead of us.”
But Cooper will likely face a primary challenger. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel jumped into the race back in April, and he sidestepped questions last month on whether he would bow out if Cooper entered the race. Instead, he said his experience flipping districts makes him a strong candidate to win the seat back for Democrats.
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is expected to announce his own bid for the seat in the coming days after Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, announced she would not run.