KENN NBC AND THE APR NOW REPORTING AND PROJECTING ROY COOPER HAS EARNED ANOTHER FOUR YEARS AS GOVERNOR.
GOV. COOPER: AND THE FIRST LADY OF ALL FIRST LADIES, CHRISIAN COOPER -- KRISTIN COOPER.
OUR STATE IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE U.S. FIRST LADY.
OUR DAUGHTERS, HILARY, NATALIE, AND CLAIRE WHO ARE BEHIND ME, YOU HAVE INSPIRED ME TO DO MORE.
YOUR MOM AND I LOVE YOU AND I’M SO PROUD TO BE YOUR DAD.
I’M GRATEFUL TO MY BROTHER AND HIS FAMILY AND IF OUR MOM AND DAD WERE HERE WITH US, THEY WOULD BE STANDING RIGHT HERE.
INSTEAD THEY ARE SMILING DOWN ON US.
I THANK THEM FOR EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY FOR SHOWING ME WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE OUR STATE.
FOR MONTHS, THE NATION HAS FOCUSED ON NORTH CAROLINA AND IT HAS COME DOWN TO COUNTING THE VOTES.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF IMPORTANT RACES THAT ARE STILL TOO CLOSE TO CALL.
WE MUST LET THE PROCESS WORK TO BE SURE THAT ALL THE LEGAL VOTES ARE COUNTED.
THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS RUN THINGS WITH THE UTMOST INTEGRITY.
DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND TOUGH RACES.
I BELIEVE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
TO THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ELECTING ME AS YOUR GOVERNOR FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
SERVING IN THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN THE HONOR OF MY LIFE.
I AM GRATEFUL AND HUMBLED TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRUSTED ME TO CONTINUE THE PROGRESS WE ALREADY MADE HERE.
I SPENT MUCH OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS VISITING COMMUNITIES BIG AND SMALL ALL AROUND OUR STATE.
NO MATTER WHERE I WAS, I FOUND THE SAME THING.
NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE RESILIENT.
WE ARE CREATIVE.
WE ARE INNOVATIVE.
COOPERATIVE.
INCLUSIVE.
AND WE DO NOT GIVE UP EASILY.
THAT IS TRUE FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE MOUNTAINS , THE FACTORY WORKERS IN THE PIEDMONT, AND THE FARMERS IN THE EAST.
HERE IS WHAT I KNOW.
CAMPAIGN SEASON IS TOUGH, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE.
BUT NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE TOUGHER.
THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR DUTY AND VOTE AND THEN GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES.
THAT IS GOOD.
BECAUSE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE HAVE A HARD JOB AHEAD.
WE HAVE TO GET ON WITH IT.
WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER THAN EVER TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S PERSPECTIVE, TO STRIVE TO RESPECT EACH OTHER EVEN THOUGH OUR POLITICAL BELIEFS MAY STILL BE DIFFERENT.
THEN WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A STATE AND REALIZE NORTH CAROLINA’S BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE WONDERING HOW.
HOW IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE SELECTION -- OF THIS ELECTION, HOW WITH RACIAL STRIFE DIVIDING OUR COMMUNITIES, HOW DO WE COME TOGETHER NOW?
ONE THING I KNOW IS IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE FLORENCE, DORIAN, ISAIAS, AND OTHER DISASTERS, WE DID NOT LET THE QUESTION OF HOW STOP US.
WE JUST DID IT.
WE CAME TOGETHER TO DO THE HARD WORK.
RIGHT NOW IT IS TIME TO DO THE HARD WORK OF HEALING.
NORTH CAROLINIANS DESERVE THAT.
IT IS TIME THAT WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON RATHER THAN ON OUR DIFFERENCES.
REGARDLESS OF OUR POLITICAL BELIEFS, MOST ALL OF US WANT PEOPLE TO BE HEALTHY, HAVE A GOOD PAYING JOB, AND TO LIVE IN SAFE COMMUNITIES.
WE VALUE OUR SHARED FREEDOM THIS GREAT COUNTRY HAS GIVEN US.
AS WE HEAL, WE MUST FOCUS ON THE PRIORITIES, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT CAN THRIVE, CLEAN AIR AND WATER, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.
A RECKONING OF THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE EXCLUDED TOO MANY PEOPLE.
A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO A STRONG AND SAFE COMMUNITY.
AN ECONOMY THAT WILL COME BACK STRONGER FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THOSE AT THE TOP.
NORTH CAROLINIANS HAVE MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD, BUT THE HARD WORK OF LISTENING TO ALL VOICES WILL BE ONGOING.
SO LET’S TAKE TIME TO IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE IN EACH OTHER’S SHOES.
LET US DEDICATE OURSELVES TO REALLY HEARING ONE ANOTHER.
LET US TAKE THE TIME TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY TRUE, WHAT IS NOT, AND WHAT IS WORTHY OF DEBATE.
TODAY AND FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, I WILL WORK HARD TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF EVERY SINGLE NORTH CAROLINIAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED TRUST IN ME.
MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU, MAY GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY, AND