Roy Cooper

Cooper's administration secured an $835 million investment in mental and behavioral health services and workforce capacity.

December 4, 2024Supports Healthcare Affordability

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration created a program projected to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million low- and middle-income North Carolinians.

July 29, 2024Supports Healthcare Affordability

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

As Governor of North Carolina, signed Medicaid expansion (House Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options) into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid and extending health coverage to an estimated 600,000+ residents.

March 27, 2023Supports Healthcare Affordability

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 6, 2026

Cooper's administration launched Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Medicaid recipients needing housing, food, transportation, and other nonmedical support.

March 15, 2022Supports Healthcare Affordability

Source: ncdhhs.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Co-sponsored the 1998 legislation establishing North Carolina's Children's Health Insurance Program for uninsured low-income children.

March 24, 1998Supports Healthcare Affordability

Source: ncleg.net · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper signed bipartisan legislation requiring a 70 percent reduction in power-sector carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

October 13, 2021Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: ncleg.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Issued Executive Order 121 directing North Carolinians to stay home except for essential work, supplies, care, health, and safety activities during the COVID-19 emergency.

March 27, 2020Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Issued Executive Order 80, North Carolina's Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy. It set up the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council and told the Department of Environmental Quality to draw up a Clean Energy Plan.

October 29, 2018Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: deq.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration created a program projected to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million low- and middle-income North Carolinians.

July 29, 2024Supports Reduce Wealth Gap

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper launched the Longleaf Commitment program to help low- and middle-income high-school graduates cover community-college tuition and fees.

May 24, 2021Supports Reduce Wealth Gap

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

His office reported, three weeks before he left the governorship, that average teacher pay in North Carolina had risen by more than 19 percent during his eight years in office. The same statement counted $1.1 billion in child care stabilization grants and more than 27,400 Longleaf Commitment grants to community college students.

December 10, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration directed $1.1 billion in stabilization grants to child-care programs in 99 North Carolina counties.

December 10, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration secured an $835 million investment in mental and behavioral health services and workforce capacity.

December 4, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration created a program projected to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million low- and middle-income North Carolinians.

July 29, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

As Governor of North Carolina, signed Medicaid expansion (House Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options) into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid and extending health coverage to an estimated 600,000+ residents.

March 27, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 6, 2026

Cooper's administration launched Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Medicaid recipients needing housing, food, transportation, and other nonmedical support.

March 15, 2022Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: ncdhhs.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper launched the Longleaf Commitment program to help low- and middle-income high-school graduates cover community-college tuition and fees.

May 24, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Co-sponsored the 1998 legislation establishing North Carolina's Children's Health Insurance Program for uninsured low-income children.

March 24, 1998Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: ncleg.net · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper's administration directed $1.1 billion in stabilization grants to child-care programs in 99 North Carolina counties.

December 10, 2024Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration secured an $835 million investment in mental and behavioral health services and workforce capacity.

December 4, 2024Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper's administration created a program projected to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million low- and middle-income North Carolinians.

July 29, 2024Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper issued Executive Order 303 directing statewide coordination to improve rehabilitation and reentry for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.

January 29, 2024Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

As Governor of North Carolina, signed Medicaid expansion (House Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options) into law, making North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid and extending health coverage to an estimated 600,000+ residents.

March 27, 2023Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 6, 2026

Cooper's administration launched Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Medicaid recipients needing housing, food, transportation, and other nonmedical support.

March 15, 2022Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: ncdhhs.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper launched the Longleaf Commitment program to help low- and middle-income high-school graduates cover community-college tuition and fees.

May 24, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Issued Executive Order 95 providing eligible state employees paid parental leave after birth, adoption, foster placement, or other legal placement of a child.

May 23, 2019Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Co-sponsored the 1998 legislation establishing North Carolina's Children's Health Insurance Program for uninsured low-income children.

March 24, 1998Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: ncleg.net · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper directed agencies to close firearm background-check reporting gaps and launched NC S.A.F.E. to promote secure firearm storage.

June 5, 2023Supports Gun Control

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Vetoed Senate Bill 41, which eliminated the sheriff-issued handgun purchase-permit system and its associated local background checks.

March 24, 2023Supports Gun Control

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper created a statewide Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Public Safety.

March 14, 2023Supports Gun Control

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

As governor of North Carolina, Cooper vetoed a 12-week abortion ban passed by the legislature.

May 13, 2023Supports Women's Reproductive Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Commuted the death sentences of 15 people to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after reviewing clemency petitions and case records.

December 31, 2024Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper issued Executive Order 303 directing statewide coordination to improve rehabilitation and reentry for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.

January 29, 2024Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Vetoed Senate Bill 747, an elections measure that shortened the absentee-ballot receipt deadline and changed rules for ballot review and poll observers.

August 24, 2023Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Signed Senate Bill 300, the state's criminal justice reform act, into law. Among other things it requires mental health screening for officers, a duty to intervene in and report another officer's use of excessive force, and a first court appearance within 72 hours.

September 2, 2021Supports Civil Rights

Source: ncleg.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Issued Executive Order 158 adopting fair-chance hiring policies for state government employment, including delaying criminal-history inquiries until the conditional-offer stage.

August 18, 2020Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper created the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice to recommend ways to reduce inequity, bias, and racism.

June 9, 2020Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Cooper created the DRIVE Task Force to develop recommendations for a more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse educator workforce.

December 9, 2019Supports Civil Rights

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Signed House Bill 142, repealing North Carolina's transgender bathroom restriction while temporarily barring local governments from adopting new nondiscrimination ordinances.

March 30, 2017Supports Civil Rights

Source: wunc.org · researched August 18, 2026

As attorney general, dismissed all remaining charges against three Duke lacrosse players and declared them innocent after a state investigation found no credible evidence that an attack occurred.

April 11, 2007Supports Civil Rights

Source: today.duke.edu · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper's administration created a program projected to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million low- and middle-income North Carolinians.

July 29, 2024Supports Corporate Accountability

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

As attorney general, participated in the national mortgage-servicing settlement that allocated an estimated $338 million in relief and payments for North Carolina.

February 9, 2012Supports Corporate Accountability

Source: webservices.ncleg.gov · researched August 18, 2026

Cooper led a North Carolina delegation seeking $25.57 billion in federal aid for Hurricane Helene recovery.

November 20, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: governor.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Issued Executive Order 80, North Carolina's Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy. It set up the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council and told the Department of Environmental Quality to draw up a Clean Energy Plan.

October 29, 2018Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: deq.nc.gov · researched July 13, 2026

After Hurricane Florence, Cooper established the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency to coordinate rebuilding and resilience work.

October 16, 2018Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: ncleg.gov · researched July 13, 2026

Received MoveOn's endorsement for the 2026 U.S. Senate election.

March 3, 2026

Source: front.moveon.org · researched August 18, 2026

Received the North Carolina Association of Educators' and National Education Association's endorsement for the 2026 U.S. Senate election.

February 27, 2026

Source: ncae.org · researched August 18, 2026

Received the North Carolina State AFL-CIO's endorsement for the 2026 U.S. Senate election.

December 18, 2025

Source: aflcionc.org · researched August 18, 2026