Roy Cooper

Roy Asberry Cooper III (/ˈkʊpər/ KUUP-ər^[1][a]; born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician. He was the 75th governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025. Before becoming governor, he served as the 50th attorney general of North Carolina from 2001 to 2017. Cooper also served in the North Carolina General Assembly, in both the House from 1987 to 1991, and in the North Carolina Senate from 1991 to 2001.^[2]

Roy Cooper
Cooper in 2023
75th Governor of North Carolina
In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2025
Lieutenant	Dan Forest Mark Robinson
Preceded by	Pat McCrory
Succeeded by	Josh Stein
50th Attorney General of North Carolina
In office January 6, 2001 – January 1, 2017
Governor	Mike Easley Bev Perdue Pat McCrory
Preceded by	Mike Easley
Succeeded by	Josh Stein
Majority Leader of the North Carolina Senate
In office July 17, 1997 – January 1, 2001
Preceded by	Richard Conder
Succeeded by	Tony Rand
Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 10th district
In office February 21, 1991 – January 1, 2001
Preceded by	Jim Ezzell
Succeeded by	A. B. Swindell
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 72nd district
In office February 9, 1987 – February 21, 1991
Preceded by	Allen Barbee
Succeeded by	Edward McGee
Personal details
Born	Roy Asberry Cooper III (1957-06-13) June 13, 1957 (age 68) Nashville, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Kristin Bernhardt ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	3
Education	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA, JD)
Signature

Early life

Roy Asberry Cooper III was born in Nashville, North Carolina, on June 13, 1957, to Beverly Thorne (née Batchelor) (1929–2013), a teacher and Roy Asberry Cooper II (1927–2015), a lawyer.^[3][4] Cooper went to public schools and worked on his parents' tobacco farm during summers.^[5]

Cooper graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1979.

Political career

He began his career as a lawyer and in 1986 was elected to represent the 72nd district in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In 1991, he was appointed a member of the North Carolina Senate and served the position until 2001. He was elected North Carolina Attorney General in 2000 and reelected in 2004, 2008, and 2012, serving just under 16 years, the second-longest tenure for an attorney general in the state's history.

Cooper defeated Republican incumbent Pat McCrory for the governorship in a close race in the 2016 election.^[6] This election made Cooper the first challenger to beat a sitting governor since 1850.^[7] Cooper was reelected in 2020 against the Republican nominee, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest.^[8]

The Republican-dominated legislature passed bills in a special session to reduce the power of the governor's office before he took office. Cooper continued to emphasize increases in education and healthcare funding throughout his term and saw successful negotiations of statewide Medicaid expansion.

In July 2025, Cooper announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the 2026 election to replace retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.^[9]

Personal life

Cooper is married to Kristin Bernhardt.^[10][11] They have three daughters.^[12][13]

Notes

1. See #Pronunciation of surname