Roy Cooper is the 75th Governor of North Carolina, serving since January 2017. Born and raised in Nash County, North Carolina, he attended public schools and worked on his family farm before earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cooper practiced law in Rocky Mount, NC, for 18 years. His mother was a public school teacher, which influenced his strong commitment to education[1][2]. Cooper began his public service career in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1986 and later served in the State Senate, where he became the Democratic Majority Leader in 1997. During his legislative tenure, he advocated for increased teacher pay, reduced class sizes, and authored North Carolina’s first children’s health insurance initiative. Notably, as Senate Majority Leader, he led the passage of the pioneering 1999 North Carolina Predatory Lending Law, aimed at protecting homeowners from unaffordable loans[1][2][4]. In 2000, Cooper was elected Attorney General of North Carolina, a position he held for four terms until 2017. As Attorney General, he focused on family protection, crime reduction, consumer advocacy including fighting predatory lenders, and lowering utility rates[1][4]. As governor, Cooper has prioritized public education, economic development, rural revitalization, health care access, and disaster recovery after hurricanes. He successfully championed Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, which is considered a major policy achievement. Cooper also oversaw bipartisan efforts on energy policy, including legislation to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. He has appointed the most diverse cabinet in state history and worked to ensure government reflects the state’s demographics[1][7]. Cooper’s leadership has been marked by working with a legislature often controlled by the opposition party, navigating political challenges to advance his agenda focused on improving the welfare and prosperity of North Carolinians[7].