NC Democrats back Harris-Cooper ticket after Biden drops out

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina’s Democratic delegates are unanimously backing Vice President Kamala Harris for president as well as Gov. Roy Cooper to be her running mate, party Chair Anderson Clayton said.

Within hours of President Joe Biden’s historic decision to drop out of the presidential race, the North Carolina Democratic Party held an emergency meeting where Clayton said the delegates agreed to back Harris.

RELATED | NC Rep. Wiley Nickel endorses Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 election

After Tennessee’s Democratic delegates made a similar move Sunday, the delegates in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and New Hampshire all backed Harris as well.

“A lot of folks carried that with great responsibility. And, they said the right decision for us right now and the exciting decision for us right now is to unify our party behind the vice presidential nominee, the person that was already on the ballot with Joe Biden when those primary voters made their first initial decision,” said Clayton.

When Harris previously sought the Democratic nomination for president, Clayton worked to try to get her elected. Harris suspended her campaign in December 2019 before the caucuses and primaries began.

She said the delegates also backed Gov. Roy Cooper joining the ticket. He acknowledged in an interview Monday on MSNBC that he had spoken to both President Biden and Vice President Harris after Sunday’s announcement.

Regarding his potential role on the ticket, he said, “I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week.”

Some other names that have emerged as potential running mates for Harris include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“The stakes are still the same as they were on Saturday as they became on Sunday, to be honest with you. We’re still running against someone who would fundamentally destroy our country, does not want to see a just transition of power in this country and, honestly, tried to overturn an election in 2020,” Clayton said. “Democracy is still on the line. Donald Trump has not changed. Our opponent in this has not changed.”

State Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons criticized state Democrats for moving so quickly.

“What we’ve seen now the Democrats doing is you’ve got party bosses effectively shaping what they want instead of allowing the will of the people to move forward,” he said.

He said many of the key issues in the race will still be central regardless of which candidate the Democrats nominate, pointing to the impacts of inflation as well as illegal immigration.

“There’s a lot of questions about what she’s known and what she’s done to hide Joe Biden’s incapacitated state as well as her own record and that of Joe Biden,” said Simmons. “She’s been an enabler for Joe Biden and really crushed the American dream where it’s out of reach for so many. You look at the economy, you look at the cost of inflation and the cost of living.”

Some Republicans have called on Biden to resign the presidency in light of his decision not to continue the campaign.

Clayton responded, “I disagree with them. I think that he is still fit to be in office. And, I think he made a decision again based on listening to the American people.”

Leading up to Sunday’s announcement, North Carolina has played a key role in the campaign as one of seven battleground states that had been expected to determine the outcome of the presidential election.

The Biden team hired staff and opened field offices much earlier than they did in 2020, identifying the Tar Heel State as a potential opportunity to flip a state Trump won four years ago.

Simmons said, “It doesn’t change anything as far as North Carolina. Regardless of who was going to be at the top of the ticket for the Democrats, North Carolina is still a hyper-competitive state. And, we’ll end up making sure we’ve got the teams and resources in play.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.