Cooper taps Britt Cobb for interim post; to announce more of Cabinet this afternoon

Britt Cobb, a veteran official in two previous Democratic administrations, is Gov. Roy Cooper’s choice to become acting secretary of the N.C. Department of Administration, a job he held previously.

Other Cabinet members will be announced early Tuesday afternoon at the governor’s Executive Mansion in Raleigh.

The Department of Administration confirmed Cobb’s appointment.

Cobb was Gov. Bev. Perdue’s chief of staff, and had been commissioner of agriculture and deputy secretary in the Department of Administration. Gov. Mike Easley had appointed Cobb to agriculture commissioner in 2003, and he subsequently lost his bid for re-election to Republican Steve Troxler, the current commissioner.

In 2006, Easley named him secretary of the Department of Administration.

Cooper’s first top hires have suggested he is reaching back into previous Democratic officials. Democrats dominated North Carolina politics for more than 100 years, until Republicans took over the legislature in 2011, followed by McCrory’s victory in 2012.

Cooper defeated McCrory by a slim margin in November.

Additional Cabinet members are expected to be announced this week.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Cooper taps Britt Cobb for interim post; to announce more of Cabinet this afternoon."