North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris goes back years; the two worked hand in hand as attorneys general. Cooper was the speaker before Harris on Thursday.
“Are we going to send them in?” Cooper said. “Are we going to fight? Are we going to win? We’re definitely going to. Let’s go get them.”
Cooper drew attention to Harris’ work as attorney general, taking on big banks and securing billions for homeowners.
He said it was then that he realized she was a fighter.
In his speech, he spoke of his fighting spirit and said Harris would fight for all Americans, regardless of their background.
“America, we have a lot of big fights ahead of us and we have a great fighter who is ready to take them on,” Cooper said.
Depending on how you look at the Democrats’ chances of winning North Carolina, the football is either on the one-yard line or it’s being taken away like Lucy does at Charlie Brown. In 2020, Trump won the state by just 1.3 percent, the narrowest margin of any state he’s won. North Carolina is the Democratic Party’s top target.
That’s why you’ll see Cooper in a prime speaking slot for Harris. He’s been advocating for her candidacy all week. He says it feels like 2008 when former President Barack Obama won the state.
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“She’s going to be the kind of president who understands what it takes to get legislation through Congress,” Cooper said. “She’s worked with the Biden administration, which has been amazing in what they’ve been able to do to get through bill after bill that has meant something to American families.”
In response to Cooper’s speech, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Republican Party said Cooper has a history of “deceit, failure and disregard for the rule of law.”
“As he runs for the U.S. Senate in 2026, North Carolina voters simply want a governor who will work with the Legislature to make life better for North Carolina families — and that’s what they will get if Mark Robinson is elected in November,” said Matt Mercer, spokesman for NCGOP.
Cooper is term-limited. He has withdrawn his name from consideration for vice president, but says he is open to a term in a Harris administration or a run for the U.S. Senate in 2026.
‘Let’s get to the point’
“Okay, let’s get to it,” Harris said after being greeted with a standing ovation.
The former prosecutor listed Trump’s conviction in the New York fraud case, as well as the verdict against him in the E. Jean Carroll case.
“Imagine Donald Trump without any restrictions, using the immense power of the presidency of the United States, not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself,” Harris said.
“We are charting a new path forward, toward a future with a strong middle class,” Harris said. “And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”
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Durham Mayor Highlights Biden-Harris Administration’s Efforts to Benefit Small Businesses
Thursday night wasn’t the first time Durham’s mayor has received national recognition. Mayor Leonardo Williams was an invited guest of Joe Biden’s at a 2020 debate. Now he’s speaking on Harris’ behalf, and he credits the Biden-Harris administration for helping his business succeed.
In his speech, the Mayor of Durham said @LeoForDurham shared how he opened the first Zimbabwean restaurant in the country. He praised the Biden-Harris administration for providing grants for small businesses to expand to 3 locations and pay a living wage @wsoctv photo.twitter.com/P60vaFhDSm
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) August 22, 2024
Williams is a rising star in the North Carolina Democratic Party. In 2018, Williams and his wife drained their savings and opened Zweli’s, America’s first Zimbabwean restaurant.
He says small business grants provided by the Biden-Harris administration not only helped his business stay afloat during Covid, but also thrive. He now has three locations, more than 30 employees, and says they all earn a living wage.
Williams says Harris will create an opportunity economy that will help entrepreneurs like him.
“As president, she will support risk-takers and problem-solvers who simply want to do their part and claim their piece of the American dream,” Williams said.
There were rumors all night that Beyoncé would be a special guest, but she never showed up.
However, one Charlotte resident who wasn’t on the program did submit a surprising video: NBA superstar Steph Curry endorsed her for president.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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