North Carolina Governor: ‘Extreme’ Mark Robinson Tanking Trump’s Chances in Must-Win State

North Carolina’s outgoing Democratic Governor Roy Cooper (D) joined MSNBC on Tuesday morning to discuss the state of the race in his key battleground state.

“This is a deadlocked race. So as you look at those early voting numbers, as I’m assuming you’re getting some reports already back for what’s being seen on the ground this morning, what are the early indications you’re feeling and what are you going to be watching for tonight?” began anchor Chris Jansing.

“Well, we know that women’s reproductive freedom is going to be a significant issue in this race. In North Carolina, the super-majority Republican legislature overrode my veto of a 12-week abortion ban by one vote. The people of North Carolina know that Donald Trump is responsible for that, and many people are mad about it,” replied Cooper, adding:

I’m not a political pundit, but one thing that has caught my eye is that in early vote in North Carolina, 55.5% of the electorate was women. That’s a record. I think women are coming to the polls in greater numbers. I think our suburban vote is up significantly. As you know, North Carolina is the third fastest-growing state in the country. So our demographics are changing. We have a lot more college-educated people.

Our bluer larger counties are even larger. So we feel very positive that North Carolina can hold a key here. Kamala Harris presents the kind of future that the Gen Zers, the people who have come here to open a business want to see. She’s been to North Carolina 21 times since she has been vice president. She cares about this state. I’ll tell you, I want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about the American people rather than a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself.

That’s the choice that we have. And I’m grateful to live in a country where we can cast a meaningful ballot to choose the kind of leaders that we want. This presidential race is important, but we also have important statewide races going on at the same time that will play a large role in the direction North Carolina goes in the next four years.

“Well, you’re talking about a statewide race. Let’s talk about the race to take your seat. Do you think that the top of the GOP ticket for the governor’s race, Mark Robinson, lieutenant governor, right now, is impacting the way voters might be turning out for Democrats at the top of the ballot with Kamala Harris and all the way all the way back down?” followed up Katy Tur.

“North Carolina Republicans have nominated the most extreme slate of right-wing candidates in the history of our state, led by Mark Robinson, which many people know about his history, but they’ve also nominated extreme candidates for attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and other offices,” Cooper replied, adding:

We have a great array of Democratic candidates headed by Josh Stein, who’s the current attorney general. Jeff Jackson is running for attorney general, Green for superintendent of public instruction.

We have a great list. Rachel Hunt for Lieutenant governor, Jessica Holmes for state auditor, Allison Riggs for our state Supreme Court. These races, I believe, will draw out a lot of people in and of themselves that can end up helping Kamala Harris on the ballot as well. So we’ve got both a top-down and a bottom-up effect here in North Carolina that I hope and believe that can end in some very positive results for our states, for our state at the end of the evening.

“And let’s talk about the first district in North Carolina, because NBC News says it’s a redrawn district. And NBC News looks at it as a possible bellwether for how the rural Black vote may turn out. Let’s talk about that. What are you seeing there and how it might indicate success either way?” asked Andrea Mitchell.

“Well, Don Davis is from North Carolina. He served in the state legislature. He is a veteran. He will have strong support. Laurie Buckhout is somebody who has is for Mark Robinson and Donald Trump and the far right wing of the party, Don Davis much better represents rural northeastern North Carolina. I know him personally. I feel good about his race,” Cooper replied before discussing gerrymandering in the state:

It’s going to be tight because our legislature has and put in the most technologically diabolical gerrymandering of any state in the country, which makes it difficult for our congressional races. And it makes it difficult for our legislative races. We had a Supreme Court decision that required fair districts that weren’t partisan. And now North Carolina has seven Republicans and seven Democrats. In Congress, which is the way it should be. But then the Republicans took over.

Our state Supreme Court issued an opinion. Now that the legislature has redrawn those districts. We’ll probably lose three of those seats simply because of the way the lines are drawn. You shouldn’t have to do your zip code, shouldn’t depend on on what kind of representation you have. But the General Assembly has done a pretty good job of that. But I think Don Davis has a great chance to win today, and I hope that he can.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.