Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina says President Joe Biden has a path to victory in North Carolina during the upcoming presidential election.
Biden will likely face off against former President Donald Trump in November. North Carolina is expected to be a contentious battleground state during their rematch.
"I believe President Biden can win North Carolina,” said Cooper while speaking at Semafor’s World Economy Summit, per The Hill. “And the campaign obviously believes that because they are investing. And they are there.”
Trump won North Carolina with 50.1% of the vote during the 2020 presidential election. The Republican also won North Carolina in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 50.5% to 46.7%.
His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is a native of North Carolina and was recently made the co-chair of the Republican National Committee. There was speculation that she planned to run for the United States Senate from North Carolina in 2022.
A poll from Quinnipiac that was published on April 10 shows Trump narrowly leads the incumbent Democratic president with 48% support among registered North Carolina voters to Biden’s 46%.
“As has been the pattern in other swing states, Biden's margin takes a ding when the presidential field expands to include third-party contenders,” noted USA Today.
The majority of participants in the poll felt Trump did a better job handling immigration (54%), the economy (55%), and international conflicts (51%).
Still, the Democratic party is hoping to flip North Carolina in 2024.
“In 2020, North Carolina was one of seven states decided by 3 percentage points or less, and it was the only one Biden lost. So it makes strategic sense for the Biden campaign to target it in 2024,” reports USA Today. “Putting Trump on defense in North Carolina and forcing him to spend precious time and resources campaigning there — particularly in the midst of his ongoing legal battles — may be a strategic win on its own.”
Despite support for the Republican candidate in 2012, 2016, and 2020, North Carolina voters supported former President Barack Obama in 2008.
Cooper and Biden have a positive relationship.
Cooper and his wife, Kristin, attended the White House State Dinner on April 10 in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s visit to the United States. He also appeared with Biden in Raleigh in January, where the president announced an $82 million investment in high-speed internet connections in the state. The federal funding is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.
“We are grateful for the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to closing the digital divide here in North Carolina and across the nation,” the North Carolina governor said in his remarks. “Accessing the internet is a necessity in today’s world, and President Biden has continued to be an invaluable partner in our efforts to not only connect North Carolinians to reliable, high-speed internet, but also ensure that they can afford it.”
Cooper is currently serving his final term as governor. He cannot seek reelection due to term limits.
