Campaign

NC governor says Biden can win state

by Tara Suter - 04/18/24 12:41 PM ET

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper holds up his veto stamp before affixing it to a bill. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) affixes his veto stamp to a bill banning nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy at a public rally May 13, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto after they recently gained veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Wednesday he thinks President Biden can win his state in this year’s upcoming presidential election.

“I believe President Biden can win North Carolina,” Cooper said at Semafor’s World Economy Summit. “And the campaign obviously believes that because they are investing. And they are there.”

Biden’s campaign has set its sights on flipping the Tar Heel State in the’ next presidential election, after former President Trump won the state in both the 2020 and 2016 elections.

“[T]his was President Biden’s closest loss in 2020,” Cooper said, pointing to the 1.3 percent margin. He added it’s “the third fastest growing state in the country” and “a lot of college educated-people are moving into North Carolina.”

According to a polling average by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump is leading Biden by 3.4 percentage points in North Carolina, with Trump at 48.3 percent and Biden at 44.9 percent.

But the Biden campaign’s North Carolina communications director Dory MacMillan told The Hill the campaign was optimistic.

“North Carolinians know that while President Biden is fighting for us, Donald Trump is fighting for billionaires, corporations, and an extreme agenda that hurts our families and our economy,” MacMillan said.

“Our campaign will continue to communicate across every corner of this state to reject Trump’s attacks on our families and earn four more years of progress with President Biden.”

In February, Cooper referred to the 2024 race as a “stark choice” between Biden and Trump.

“But the choice is going to be, that do you want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about the American people?” Cooper said at the time. “Or do you want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself? And that is going to be the stark choice.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

There is another intense race in North Carolina this year — for Cooper’s own position. The current attorney general of North Carolina, Josh Stein (D), will face the state’s current lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, in a closely watched match-up for governor in November.