Former Governor Roy Cooper, who has recently announced his candidacy for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, has a long record of serving the state with a career in public service spanning nearly four decades.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Cooper began his career as a lawyer before being elected to the state House in 1986. Just a few years later, in 1991, he was appointed to the North Carolina Senate, a position he held until 2001. In 2000, he was elected North Carolina attorney general, and he went on to win reelection in 2004, 2008, and 2012, serving for nearly 16 years.
In 2016, Cooper pulled off a historic upset by defeating Republican incumbent Pat McCrory — the first time a sitting governor had been unseated in North Carolina’s history. He was reelected in 2020, overcoming a Republican legislature that attempted to strip powers from the governor’s office before he took office. Despite that, Cooper stayed focused on core priorities like expanding access to health care and improving education funding, and his record as governor shows that.
Expanded Health Care Access
Cooper fought for more than a decade to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, and his persistence paid off when expansion officially launched on December 1, 2023. Initial projections estimated it would take two years to enroll 600,000 people. But under Cooper’s leadership, the state met that goal in just one year—cutting the timeline in half. This was made possible by partnerships between state agencies, health leaders, and local advocates.
Additionally, the Cooper administration implemented a medical debt relief program to wipe out $4 billion in debt for nearly two million low and middle-income residents and launched a pilot program that invests in non-medical needs, such as food, housing, and transportation, for high-risk Medicaid patients. Early results showed the program is both effective and cost-saving.
Investments In Education
Cooper prioritized education throughout his tenure, pushing for stronger investments in public schools, teacher pay, early learning, and workforce training. Cooper made it a priority to give educators the raises they deserved, and he consistently proposed budgets that included substantial raises for teachers. Over his time in office, the state raised average teacher pay by more than 19 percent..
His administration also invested heavily in childcare centers, with $1.1 billion in stabilization grants being distributed across the state to help programs stay open, boost teacher pay, and improve services.
The Longleaf Commitment program was launched by Cooper’s administration, which was a $25.5 million investment that helped 2021 and 2022 high school graduates from low and middle-income families attend community college tuition-free. More than 27,400 students have received Longleaf grants, with 77% going to students from families earning less than $60,000.
Bolstered North Carolina’s Economy
Under Cooper’s leadership, North Carolina’s economy soared. CNBC ranked the state number one in the nation for business both in 2022 and 2023. Over Cooper’s time as governor, North Carolina gained more than 640,000 jobs and secured major investments from global companies, including Toyota, Novo Nordisk, Boom Supersonic, and many more.
According to his farewell address, major job announcements during his tenure include:
- Toyota – 5,100 jobs and $13.9 billion in investment
- Apple – 3,000 jobs and $1 billion in investment
- FUJIFILM Diosynth – 1,405 jobs and $3.2 billion in investment
- Novo Nordisk – 1,000 jobs and $4.1 billion in investment
- Eli Lilly – 1,051 jobs and $1.4 billion in investment
- Wolfspeed – 1,802 jobs and $5 billion in investment
- Boom Supersonic – 1,750 jobs and $500 million in investment
- Natron Energy – 1,062 jobs and $1.39 billion in investment
- Boviet Solar – 908 jobs and $294 million in investment
Looking Ahead
Cooper has recently announced his next chapter: a run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Fellow Democrat Wiley Nickel, who had announced his candidacy for the same seat in late 2023, reportedly will suspend his campaign and endorse Cooper.
