Roy Cooper: NC Governor

Roy Ashley Cooper III was born on June 13, 2017, in Nashville, North Carolina. Roy Cooper is the son of Roy Cooper Jr. and Beverly Cooper. Roy Cooper Jr. was a farm and practiced law, while Beverly Cooper was a school teacher. Cooper grew up on the family farm and attended public school while helping his family on the farm during summer. After high school, Roy attended the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. During his time at UNC, Cooper obtained his bachelors in political science and psychology and a Juris doctor in Chapel Hill’s School of Law. Additionally, Cooper was appointed to the state goals and policy board by the former governor of North Carolina, Jim Hunt. After receiving his degree, Roy returned home to Nash County and began working with the family business, Fields and Cooper. He specialized in personal injuries, civil suits, and worked to defend insurance. Roy also returned to Nash County to be with his wife, Kristin, and help raise his three daughters, Hillary, Natalie, and Claire. Cooper was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1987 to 1991. From 1991–2001, Cooper served in the North Carolina State Senate. During his time in the Senate, Cooper fought to increase teacher pay and to reduce class sizes as a whole. In 2000, Roy Cooper was elected Attorney General of North Carolina, where he served four terms. During his time as Attorney General, Cooper focused on child predators, strove to increase the penalties for drug dealers, and strove to make schools safer. Cooper also wrote North Carolina’s first initiative for Children’s health insurance. Roy Cooper won the general election on November 8, 2016 and became the governor of North Carolina on January 1, 2017, where he is currently serving his term as the 75th governor of North Carolina.