Roy Cooper, North Carolina

Roy Cooper is the former Governor of North Carolina (2017–2025) and a potential candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate with a J.D. from the same university, he practiced law and served 14 years in the North Carolina General Assembly and 16 years as Attorney General before being elected governor in 2016 and reelected in 2020. As governor he vetoed over 80 bills, expanded Medicaid, invested in public education and teacher pay, and led the state’s response to multiple natural disasters including Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Helene.