Senate candidate Roy Cooper promises to lower costs at rally in Durham
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Roy Cooper pledges as part of U.S. Senate campaign to "make stuff cost less."
- Cooper attacked Michael Whatley’s record on utilities and storm recovery leadership.
- Cooper highlighted Medicaid expansion, jobs and public safety as governing achievements.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper stepped on stage in Durham on Thursday evening and was met with loud cheers from more than 400 people.
“I’m Roy Cooper, and I’m running for U.S. Senate,” he shouted into the microphone on his podium, increasing the crowd’s enthusiasm.
Cooper’s rally Thursday night marked the sixth stop across North Carolina telling voters how he plans to “make stuff cost less,” the name of his tour.
“I am running to make stuff cost less, for young parents like Kewanna dealing with higher grocery prices, for farmers like Pender being forced to navigate the reckless tariffs and for veterans like Tim who are seeing their VA health care get gutted,” Cooper said, referring to people he’s met — at least one of whom spoke at the rally. “In Washington, D.C., I’ll be an independent voice, working with anyone to make stuff cost less for hard-working North Carolinians.”
Cooper faces former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in his race for Senate. Both are vying to replace Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, who chose to retire from public office after getting into a public spat with President Donald Trump over Medicaid coverage in North Carolina.
Whatley announced Wednesday he would counter-program against Cooper’s rally — announced two weeks earlier — and hold his first media event in the Triangle.
“Michael Whatley is a D.C. insider, oil lobbyist who cares about lining the pockets of the millionaires more than helping you and your family,” Cooper said. “He has spent his career lobbying for utility companies like Duke Energy, making your monthly electric bills climb higher and higher.”
Cooper also took a shot at Whatley for his work in Western North Carolina following Helene. Trump, in his first weeks of his second term, put Whatley in charge of the state’s storm recovery and on a board to review the work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“He failed,” Cooper said.
Whatley’s campaign has credited the candidate and Trump for their roles in storm recovery, pointing to what they said was a turnaround from storm response under Cooper’s term as governor.
“President Donald Trump and Michael Whatley delivered results and more than $6.5 billion in federal relief for North Carolina — more than any natural disaster in state history,” Whatley campaign spokesperson Jonathan Felts told the Charlotte Observer. “After witnessing firsthand the disastrous Biden-Cooper response, President Trump took action, appointing Whatley to the FEMA Review Council to fix what Democrats broke and streamline real relief for families in Western North Carolina.”
Stein and other Democrats at rally
The crowd had already been warmed up by Democrats like Gov. Josh Stein, his successor; Rep. Valerie Foushee, who represents Durham; state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls and state Sen. Natalie Murdock.
“(Cooper) has always fought for the people of North Carolina — all of the people of North Carolina,” Stein told the crowd. “Time and time again, he has delivered to make our state a better place, and I’ve learned a great deal from him over the years.”
Foushee told the crowd that Washington is broken.
“Roy Cooper is a proven champion for our state, and we need him in the U.S. Senate,” Foushee said. “I know we can make stuff costs less.”
They also heard from residents who have felt the effect of rising costs in North Carolina, including Melissa Garber.
Garber, a Durham resident, spoke about how increasing costs affected her life, especially while trying to afford treatment for an undiagnosed medical condition.
“Whether I’m at the doctor’s office, shopping for groceries or paying the electric bill, everything costs so much these days,” Garber said. “It’s hard to afford the health care you need when costs are rising for all basic necessities.”
Cooper told the crowd that after leaving the governor’s office after two terms, he ripped off his tie, went back to his farm, read some books, watched some sports and spent time with his family. He didn’t talk about it, but also spent several months teaching at Harvard University. Then, said Cooper, a Raleigh resident, he kept hearing about North Carolinians working extra to ensure they could make ends meet.
U.S. inflation rose to 9% in June 2022, while Cooper was still governor, but decreased to 3% by the time Cooper left office. It stood at 2.4% early this year but is expected to rise to possibly more than 4% this month, according to CBS.
“In the weeks and months after I left office, I watched our people be left behind,” Cooper said.
He said people across the state are struggling to afford groceries, health care, utilities, rent and childcare.
“It’s just skyrocketing,” Cooper said. “And now with the war in Iran, here comes higher gas prices — yet another burden for working families.”
Cooper said he believes political leaders in Washington are making things worse for people.
“I couldn’t sit back and watch the people in my state get treated this way,” Cooper said. “Not without a fight.”
Cooper said Congress needs to get rid of Trump’s tariffs, take on insurance companies that are driving up the cost of health care and support Medicaid and Medicare.
Speakers before Cooper gave him credit for expanding Medicaid in North Carolina while he was governor. The state’s Republicans had long opposed expansion, but near the end of his second term, they finally reached an agreement.
Murdock said expanding Medicaid was the most important vote she took as a senator and noted that 720,000 people are now on the program that Cooper championed.
“North Carolinians know how to speak up when we need change, and right now you’re making your voices heard in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “We know how to make things work, and I’ve got receipts ...”
Among the accomplishments Cooper credited himself for:
- Adding hundreds of thousands of jobs;
- Prosecuting violent criminals, child sex predators and drug traffickers.
- Signing into law for tougher sentences for gang leaders and for assaulting law enforcement officers.
- Providing paid parental leave to state employees.
- Expanding Medicaid.
“So many people told us that it couldn’t be done,” Cooper said. “It was a long fight. We brought Democrats and Republicans together, and we never ever gave up.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 10:06 PM.
