North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has reportedly withdrawn from being considered to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.
Two people close to the matter told the New York Times that Cooper, who had been seen as a top contender to be Harris’s running mate as she seeks the presidency, withdrew from the list of potential vice presidential candidates.
This comes after Adm. William H. McRaven, who had also been a vice-presidential contender revealed that he had “removed” his name from consideration.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) also recently revealed during an interview with CBS News that she was not involved in the process of searching for a vice presidential pick for Harris.
NEWS w/ @reidepstein: Gov. Roy Cooper of NC has withdrawn from Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate sweepstakes https://t.co/ceV5Bnuvpe
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) July 29, 2024
The outlet noted that a spokesman for Harris’s presidential campaign and a spokesperson for Gov. Cooper declined to comment.
Harris and Cooper are reported to have known each other since they both served as attorneys general for California and North Carolina.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager for Harris’s presidential campaign confirmed to CBS News that the vice president had started “a process” of selecting her running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
“The vice president has begun a process that is probably one of the most important processes and decisions that she will make during her time as a candidate for president,” Rodriguez told the outlet.
Harris will reportedly have selected her choice for vice president by August 7.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) are reported to be on the list of those who are being considered as Harris’s running mate.
This comes as Harris has been found to have a lower favorability rating than President Joe Biden by one point, according to RealClearPolitics polling average.
Former President Donald Trump has also been found to lead Harris in 13 national polls that were published during July.