Roy Cooper — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Served as the 75th Governor of North Carolina (2017-2025).
Was the 50th Attorney General of North Carolina (2001-2017), holding the longest tenure in state history.
Successfully negotiated statewide Medicaid expansion as Governor.
Elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives (1986) and North Carolina Senate (1991).
Graduated from UNC Chapel Hill (1979) and UNC School of Law (1982).
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in the 2026 election in North Carolina.

Biography

Roy Asberry Cooper III is an American politician and lawyer. Born on June 13, 1957, in Nashville, North Carolina, he earned a B.A.

in Political Science from UNC Chapel Hill in 1979 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1982. While in law school, he was appointed to the State Goals and Policy Board by then-Governor Jim Hunt, becoming the youngest person to serve on the board.