Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Roy Cooper in his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina.
In a YouTube video posted to Cooper's channel on Oct. 13, Obama asked N.C. voters to "send Roy Cooper to the Senate," citing Cooper's work as North Carolina Governor and Attorney General.
As reported by the Citizen Times, a poll also released Oct. 13 by Carolina Forward surveyed 829 likely voters in the state, finding that a full 10% more respondents answered that they would vote for Cooper over his Republican opponent, former Republican National Convention Chairman Michael Whatley. Carolina Forward also noted that the Oct. 13 study marked the first time Cooper has led by double digits in the poll.
Here's what to know about Obama's
statement, polling numbers and more.
Watch Barack Obama's endorsement of Roy Cooper
"Right now too many families are struggling to make ends meet," Obama said in the Oct. 13 YouTube video. "Roy Cooper gets that. As Governor, he fought to make healthcare more affordable, invested in training programs for good paying jobs, and cut taxes for working families."
The former president also cited Cooper's work as N.C. Attorney General, stating that he "took on insurance companies that ripped you off and forced them to play by the rules" and assuring N.C. voters that Cooper would ban surprise billing and prevent insurance companies from denying care.
Roy Cooper's career history
After earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Cooper practiced law in Rocky Mount. He served as a Representative in North Carolina's House of Representatives and as a state Senator before being elected to serve as Attorney General.
Cooper was Attorney General from 2001 to 2017. He was elected to serve as N.C. Governor in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He announced his campaign for the state's U.S. Senate seat in the summer of 2025.
What is Roy Cooper's approval rating in North Carolina? Michael Whatley's?
A study released Oct. 13 by Carolina Forward surveyed 829 North Carolina likely voters. The poll found that, of respondents, 50% would vote for Cooper, while 40% would vote for Whatley.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Former President Barack Obama endorses Roy Cooper for U.S. Senate
