Endorsement: Our choice for governor of North Carolina
After the election of Gov. Pat McCrory in 2012, North Carolina Republicans enjoyed an unprecedented trifecta – control of the state House, the state Senate and the office of the governor.
They used that power with a vengeance, gutting unemployment benefits and pushing through major tax cuts that favored the rich and corporations while leaving public schools starved for funds.
Roy Cooper, a Democrat and North Carolina’s longtime attorney general, looked on with alarm at what was happening to a state once admired for its moderate politics and its commitment to education. In 2016, he challenged McCrory and won narrowly.