Cooper policies do not include some people and exclude others. He supports all his constituents no matter the color of their skin, their religion, their gender identity or political affiliation. He does not favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor. He supports women’s rights to get appropriate health care and emergency intervention when necessary during a pregnancy.

We are so fortunate to have our former Governor Roy Cooper running as the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate. The author of a recent My Turn article compared Cooper’s policies to the spots on a leopard in that they would never change and Cooper policies would never change. This reference was meant to negatively reflect on Cooper’s policies and achievements. 

However, to me, it was a positive affirmation that we can count on Cooper to continue to work in the best interests for all the people in North Carolina as he has always done. He is who he says he is, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He has not and will not vacillate from day to day or week to week as does the current president who constantly lies and changes his mind so frequently that it’s hard to keep up. He will not support everything the president puts forth as the current Republican majority representatives and senators do that only benefits the wealthiest individuals and corporations and hurts everyone else.

Cooper policies do not include some people and exclude others. He supports all his constituents no matter the color of their skin, their religion, their gender identity or political affiliation. He does not favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor. He supports women’s rights to get appropriate health care and emergency intervention when necessary during a pregnancy.

Cooper earned his undergraduate degree and his law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. He practiced law for 18 years in Rocky Mount where he and his wife raised three daughters. He has spent 39 years in public service serving in both the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate four terms as attorney general and most recently two terms as governor.

During his service in the legislature, he worked with members of both parties to get balanced budgets, grow the economy and cut taxes for middle class families. He fought to increase teacher’s pay and reduce class size.

During his years as attorney general, he oversaw a significant reduction in crime, advocated for lowering utility rates and putting predatory lenders out of business. He initiated legislation that established new mentoring and tutoring programs for middle and high school students out on short-term suspension. The bill was subsequently signed by then Gov. Mike Easley.

As governor, Cooper was committed to ensuring that state government looked like the people it represented and he appointed the most diverse cabinet in North Carolina history. Under his leadership, he expanded Medicaid and extended health care to more than 600,000 people. Unfortunately, under the president’s disastrous new budget, federal funding will be significantly reduced for Medicaid.

Throughout his time as governor, he raised teacher pay by 19 percent and worked to create thousands of new jobs. He focused on boosting public education, tackling the opioid crisis, revitalizing rural communities and making sure that people have the training to fill better-paying jobs that required more skills.

Under Cooper’s leadership, there were programs and services to benefit low income individuals including affordable housing, emergency assistance, energy assistance, food stamps medical debt relief, investment in early childhood education, and grants for child care centers and expanded Pre-K access.

He knows that climate change is real and scientifically proven. He supports clean air and renewable energy. In response to major hurricanes, Cooper established the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) to manage state and federal funding for rebuilding homes and communities. There have been false claims that Cooper’s response to the flooding in the N.C. mountains caused by Hurricane Helene was not adequate. The truth is that his response was timely and appropriate.

The last thing North Carolina and the country needs is another Republican senator who is so consumed with his own power, influence and wealth that he will do anything that the president demands even though it is so detrimental to his constituents and the country as a whole. We need people who will stand up to the president and protect our democracy.

I am so glad that Roy Cooper like the leopard will not change his spots.

Carol Pomeroy