You Shall Be Known by the Competence You Keep

Legislative News by Nelda Holder –

It was exciting … for those few days … to think that the governor of North Carolina just might join a national ticket as the candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Heads were turning—Democratic and Independent and even Republican—to reassess the value Gov. Roy Cooper, the quiet, experienced leader of our state.

Then, in characteristically calm and measured terms, the governor quietly announced he was withdrawing from that lofty consideration by current Vice President Kamala. Holding President Joe Biden’s handoff pass, she was making rapid plans to run at the top of the Democratic ticket for the United States presidency this November, creating the need for a replacement for the job of VP.

It was a surprise of sorts to see Cooper among the illustrious group of potential running mates—but not because he didn’t deserve it. Instead, in this government-watcher’s opinion, he’s been so quietly competent for such a long time that it would seem even his own home base might have overlooked him. Never mind the careful stewardship of the state he’s exhibited during almost eight years as governor, and before that in four terms as the state’s attorney general, and before that serving in the NC State House and then Senate (where he was majority leader). And never mind his various roles nationally, including the chairmanship of the national Democratic Governors Association.

So just why might North Carolinians have been surprised for his name to land on the list of VP contenders?

That is the subject I’ve chosen to focus on for this month’s column. Quiet competence deserves a lot of credit in this day and age, along with courtesy, trustworthiness, humility, and compassion.

So, stopping to think about Cooper in his brief illumination under the national spotlight, it occurred to me that I, along with maybe a lot more of my state’s natives and residents, had simply been taking the governor’s competence for granted.

When the personal is political

When I picked up that idea to examine it, I was reminded of two personal impressions of the man that made me appreciate him as a governor, and as a human being. One was the quiet compassion and leadership he displayed during the state’s Covid-19 crisis (roughly 2020-2022). His usually weekly press conferences during the height of the pandemic in the state and nation were calm and informative and, to the extent possible, reassuring.

Standing on stage beside him would be Dr. Mandy Cohen, his Secretary of Health & Human Services (now Director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for the Biden administration). She would follow the governor in reassuring the public regarding the facts and explaining the precautions we needed to know about and take.

The other impression is a much lighter view of the man, but still reflective of what I’ll call his quiet depth. This involves two simple, personal glimpses I’ve had of this governor in the past couple of years. Both were when I was attending local professional theater performances in downtown Raleigh when Cooper also turned up in the audience. (Credit to Burning Coal Theatre Company here for two excellent plays.)

The first encounter was at a performance of Ona, which was the world premiere of a thoughtful, sensitive story about the life of one of the George Washington family’s slaves, Ona; her relationship with Mrs. Washington (portrayed by none other than NC First Lady Kristin Cooper); and her journey psychologically and physically away from slavery.

I was already seated when the governor, his daughters, and (I assumed) a security detail walked in quietly and took their seats. The gathering audience respectfully gave him his space and left him alone, but Cooper subsequently (and again quietly) stepped back into the aisle to go casually chat with two or three folks he had spotted in their theater seats. No pomp and circumstance. Just an evening out with the family.

The second was a production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, where I distinctly recall the pleasant-faced man dressed in jeans coming over to talk briefly and pleasantly to someone in front of me. There he was again—Roy Cooper. When I told my accompanying granddaughter that man was the governor, her jaw dropped (literally) and she became more excited about seeing him than the pending play. It made me smile.

There’s just something really impressive to me about a governor who shows up simply to enjoy local theater—exhibiting an awareness of and appreciation for the arts in his community and doing so with no hoopla whatsoever. Just a guy, comfortable in his own skin and blue jeans, quietly shaking hands with a few recognized friends but otherwise making no waves … not even ripples.

Why am I saying all this?

I’m a native North Carolinian—proud of it!—and there has always seemed something so familiar to me about the understated competence of this governor. Sure, there’s that gentle drawl. Certainly there’s his obvious pride in two things: his home state (including its sports madness), and his closely held family: Kristin (a lawyer by training at Campbell Law School), and three daughters (all graduates of their dad’s alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill).

I smile at the fact that this family has, during Cooper’s term, shown up intermittently with their various household animals on a Facebook page called First Pets of North Carolina. (Now that was a genius idea—whoever gets the credit!)

So maybe he’s not going to be Vice President of the United States … at least in the immediate future. But Cooper-the-governor is term limited, meaning (under the Old North State’s constitution) two terms and you must step down. So it’s a safe bet he’ll be headed for something interesting, and it will be no surprise—should Harris win the presidency—that it will be in Washington, D.C. That could include the speculation that he will run for US Senate against now-Sen. Thom Tillis (R) in 2026.

Interestingly, however, after four years away from the governor’s office, according to that same North Carolina Constitution, you are allowed to run again for that position—should that be your choice.

If there is going to be a Harris administration, my bet is there’s going to be a Cooper move to Washington, DC. At least temporarily. But whatever his future undertakings, it’s just been nice having Roy Cooper as our governor.

Note: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will have a speaking role at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Cooper was considered a potential vice presidential pick for Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris became the nominee after President Joe Biden decided to end his re-election bid in July.

Nelda Holder is the author of The Thirteenth Juror – Ferguson: A Personal Look at the Grand Jury Transcripts.