Roy Cooper

Roy Cooper, born on June thirteenth, nineteen fifty-seven, is a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as the seventy-fifth governor of North Carolina from two thousand seventeen to two thousand twenty-five. A dedicated member of the Democratic Party, Cooper previously held the position of the fiftieth attorney general of North Carolina from two thousand one to two thousand seventeen, and he was an active participant in the North Carolina General Assembly from nineteen eighty-seven to two thousand one.

Raised in Eastern North Carolina, Cooper graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in nineteen seventy-nine. He began his professional journey as a lawyer and, in nineteen eighty-six, was elected to represent the seventy-second district in the North Carolina House of Representatives. His political career advanced in nineteen ninety-one when he was appointed to the North Carolina Senate, a role he maintained until two thousand one.

In two thousand, Cooper was elected as North Carolina's attorney general, a position he was reelected to in two thousand four, two thousand eight, and two thousand twelve, marking nearly sixteen years in office—the longest tenure for an attorney general in the state's history. His political acumen was further demonstrated when he defeated Republican incumbent Pat McCrory in a closely contested race during the two thousand sixteen election, making history as the first challenger to unseat a sitting governor in North Carolina.

Cooper's governorship was marked by his commitment to enhancing education and healthcare funding, despite facing challenges from a Republican-dominated legislature that sought to limit the powers of the governor's office. His efforts culminated in successful negotiations for statewide Medicaid expansion. Looking ahead, Cooper is poised to be the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming two thousand twenty-six election in North Carolina.