Democrat, Republican leaders speak about Gov. Roy Cooper's appeal as VP pick

After throwing its support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, the North Carolina Democratic Party is now excited for the possibility that Gov. Roy Coper could join the ticket.

"We respect so much what Governor Cooper has done. He's someone that's won twice with Donald Trump on a ballot in this state," North Carolina Democratic Chair Anderson Clayton said.

Clayton's counterpart, North Carolina Republican Chairman Jason Simmons, said Cooper's record lacks substance.

"The scrutiny that he's about to go under if he truly is going to be the nominee will be astonishing," Simmons said.

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Cooper has not publicly said if he is interested in the role of Vice President. He's previously been talked about as a possible Senate candidate in 2026. That's when Thom Tillis' seat will come up for re-election.

At least some of Cooper's appeal as a national candidate revolves around his popularity in North Carolina, which is one of the most important for winning the presidency in 2024. North Carolina's 16 electoral votes are critical for both parties when they look at different election strategies to win the 270 electoral votes needed to become President Elect.

Ultimately, Clayton said her focus remains flipping the state back to blue and winning other races on the ballot.

"We're organizing in every county across North Carolina, not leaving a precinct unturned by Democrats this year, because we know that we lost this state in 2020 by 74,000 votes and that was for the Democratic ticket at the top," Clayton said.

Democrats held an emergency meeting Sunday evening and unanimously endorsed Harris.

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ABC11 is learning Harris did not reach out to delegates or speak to Clayton ahead of that vote.

"We were already very ready to support the Vice President even without her having to call around to folks or to do the sort of asking," Clayton said.

The North Carolina Republican Party said removing Joe Biden from the race with just over 100 days to go highlights that the Democratic Party is in disarray.

"Kamala Harris by no means is a capable messenger for the Democratic Party. We have in President Trump somebody who will be able to outshine her every day, any day," Simmons said.