CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that it would be "devastating" if Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson defeats Attorney General Josh Stein to become the state's next governor.
"There is no more extreme statewide candidate," Cooper said during an interview with MSNBC. "If he got elected as governor of North Carolina, it would be devastating. We don't want to go back to the culture wars that he would bring to our state."
Cooper's reference was to the controversial House Bill 2 that put North Carolina in national headlines for months. Known as the "bathroom bill," the former law required individuals to use the restrooms of the gender listed on their birth certificate. The backlash to the law was harsh, costing North Carolina major events, including NCAA championships and the NBA All-Star Game. The law was repealed in March 2017.
Cooper, who was once considered a leading candidate to be Kamala Harris' running mate at the top of the Democratic ticket, withdrew from consideration in July, saying he was concerned about what Robinson might have tried while serving as acting governor while he campaigned alongside the vice president. Cooper told the panel on "Morning Joe" that Robinson's views could drive people to the polls who otherwise wouldn't vote.
"I think that people are so concerned about this extreme candidate that many of them would come and vote for the first time and would also vote for Kamala Harris," he said.
The governor also pointed to the race for state schools superintendent, where Republican Michele Morrow is facing Democrat Mo Green. Cooper called out some of Morrow's past comments, including when she said Barack Obama and Joe Biden should be publicly executed. Cooper also criticized Morrow's ability to lead public schools after homeschooling her children.
"You can't run our public schools if you don't believe in public schools," Cooper said. "We need to lift this race up, and it's another one of those races where PTA groups are already meeting. We may have a lot of people come out to vote in that race to protect our schools who can vote for Kamala Harris as well."
Both Robinson and Morrow have said they would reject federal education funds if elected. When asked by WRAL how they'd cover the expenses without federal aid, neither campaign answered.
Cooper is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. He's been a longtime supporter of President Joe Biden and said he'll do "whatever it takes" to help Kamala Harris win in North Carolina. Cooper, who can't run for another term as governor, hasn't mentioned his political aspirations but reports have linked him to a possible U.S. Senate run in 2026.
As for the 2024 race, Cooper drew parallels to the last time a Democrat won North Carolina during Wednesday's interview.
"I think North Carolinians are used to being a part of history," he said. "The last time we voted for a Democratic candidate for president was 208 with Barack Obama. There's a sense of making history again."
Last week, the first major poll showed Harris is now leading Donald Trump in North Carolina. The Cook Political Report showed Harris ahead by 2 percentage points, a 10-point swing in favor of Democrats from May, when Trump was leading Biden by 8 points. Cooper says the groundswell of support behind Harris has caused concern for Republicans in North Carolina.
"The Trump campaign is panicking," Cooper said. "They're putting a lot of money, spending a lot of time in North Carolina because they know they have to win. This is where we want to be."
Trump will be in Asheboro on Wednesday to discuss national security. It will be his third stop in North Carolina in the last month, including rallies in Asheville and Charlotte.