Harris’ team considers vice presidential candidates: Cooper among them

Kamala Harris’ campaign has requested background checks from several politicians across the country, according to multiple media reports.

It includes North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who answered questions Tuesday about becoming Harris’ choice for vice president.

“I’m not going to comment on that,” Cooper said during his visit to Winston-Salem. “I really want her to … respect her process, have the space to choose the best person, and I’m not going to comment on her process.”

“I think there’s a long list of Democrats who could do a tremendous job in this position with her,” Cooper said. “The fact is she has some extraordinary people to choose from, and I’m confident she’ll make the right decision, not only for herself, but for the Democratic Party and for the country.”

Eric Holder, the former U.S. attorney general, and a team of lawyers at his firm Covington & Burling are taking the lead in reviewing potential choices, two people familiar with the matter told the AP.

The list of possibilities could grow or change. But Harris, who has won the delegates she will need to be the Democratic nominee, hopes to complete the process in time for delegates to also vote for her running mate in a virtual roll-call vote in early August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention. The goal, according to one of the people familiar with the matter, is to keep the process drama-free as Harris and Democrats try to project a sense of confidence after an extraordinarily tumultuous few weeks for the party.

The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19 to 22.

A reporter asked Cooper Tuesday if he would take his message outside of North Carolina.

“I’ve been telling the same story about the Democratic ticket over the past year, talking about the extraordinary accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration,” Cooper said.

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A presidential historian explains what presidential candidates look for in their running mates

WRAL News spoke with presidential historian Michael Beschloss about what presidential candidates typically look for in a running mate. He explained that presidents and vice presidents need to be personally compatible.

“He brings geography (and) compatibility with Kamla Harris,” Beschloss said of Cooper.

Cooper has known Harris for 20 years.

Cooper’s consideration comes after Biden fell just 1.4 percentage points — or 75,000 votes — short of winning North Carolina in 2020. Cooper has also run and won statewide elections in every presidential election year since 2000, when he was first elected attorney general.

History of North Carolina presidential candidates

It’s been 20 years since a North Carolinian ran for president: Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards was John Kerry’s Democratic presidential nominee in 2004.

Edwards served only one term as a U.S. senator before Kerry chose him as his running mate in 2004.

Beschloss said North Carolina has changed since 2004.

Kerry chose Edwards, a charismatic lawyer, after Edwards rose to prominence in the party primaries. Edwards finished second with the most delegates.

“In 2004, when John Edwards was put on the ticket with John Kerry, some people said that North Carolina was in play and that John Edwards would bring North Carolina to the ticket,” Beschloss said. “Both of those statements were false.”

Kerry and Edwards lost the 2004 presidential race to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. In 2004, Bush won North Carolina by a margin of 12.44 percent.

Bush won North Carolina with 12.83 percent of the vote in the 2000 election.

It has been since 1865 that a North Carolinian has been in the White House. Vice President Andrew Johnson became president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.