Roy Cooper wins re-election as North Carolina governor

RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV/AP) - Roy Cooper has won re-election over opponent Dan Forest for North Carolina governor on Tuesday night.

The contest between Democratic North Carolina Gov. Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Forest was among a few governor’s races across the country that were being closely watched in this year’s election.

The mild-mannered governor has often been reluctant to criticize President Donald Trump.

He has been generally praised for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, some complained he was slow to reopen K-12 public schools and certain parts of the economy.

Forest often criticized the shuttering of small businesses, including bars, bowling alleys and gyms.

Cooper and Forest participated only one gubernatorial debate of the 2020 election cycle.

The race between Cooper and Forest has attracted attention from outside groups, which have spent millions to shape voter attitudes.

Nearly 62% of the state’s more than 7.3 million registered voters had cast their ballots by Monday.

Here’s some information about each candidate.

Roy Cooper is the incumbent running for re-election and has been governor since 2017.

He was the state’s Attorney General for 16 years and also served in the North Carolina House and Senate

Cooper earned a Juris Doctor degree in law from University of North Carolina School of Law in 1982.

According to his campaign website, Cooper issued executive orders prohibiting workplace discrimination, establishing paid parental leave for state employees and launched the Clean Energy Plan.

The website indicates that Cooper supports better teacher pay and Medicaid expansion.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodman released this statement about Cooper’s victory:

“North Carolinians have chosen to re-elect Governor Roy Cooper, a fighter for working families who is committed to moving our state forward. Since 2016, Governor Cooper has fought for a better educated, healthier, and more prosperous North Carolina where people can have more money in their pockets and opportunities to live with purpose and abundance. In a second term, Governor Cooper will continue to prioritize raising teacher pay, expanding Medicaid, and strengthening our local economies over corporate tax cuts.”

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