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Undercover Video Shows Cooper Declining Anti-Socialist Pledge in Senate Race
ReUndercover Video Shows Cooper Declining Anti-Socialist Pledge in Senate Race
North Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper says he sees no need to sign a moderate Democrats' pledge repudiating socialism, arguing his party needs a wide spectrum as it faces a shrinking GOP and internal pressure over its left flank.
North Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper is declining to sign a moderate Democrats' pledge repudiating socialist positions, saying his party needs to accommodate a broad range of views as it confronts a shrinking Republican Party and its own internal divisions.
In video footage obtained by Fox News Digital, Cooper was asked whether he would sign the Promise to America, a statement circulated by moderate Democrats rejecting socialist stances. «I don't see any need to,» Cooper said. «I think the party needs a wide spectrum, particularly at a time when the Republican Party is shrinking and having all kinds of loyalty tests. I think we need to have all kinds of folks to be a part of our party.»
The comments come as Cooper, the former North Carolina governor, campaigns to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in a state that has historically leaned Republican in federal races. They also raise questions about whether moderate Democrats believe their platforms can coexist with the aims of the Democratic Socialists of America, a group whose stated positions include abolishing the U.S. Senate, establishing public ownership of corporations and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Cooper is not affiliated with or backed by the DSA, and his campaign has emphasized his record of working with a Republican-controlled legislature during his tenure as governor from 2017 to 2025. He has pushed back on suggestions that he is tied to the group. «For the record, no,» he told the New York Times when asked whether he was a Communist. «I have a record of working across the aisle. The people of North Carolina know that I can be a senator that puts them first. Before power, before party, before politics. I feel confident that at the end of the day, they'll send me to Washington.»
Asked whether Cooper's platform conflicts with the DSA's views, his campaign declined to comment, saying his commitments are reserved for his constituents. «The only pledge Roy makes is to the people of North Carolina. Roy is not a socialist and he will work with anyone, including Republicans, as he has done his entire career to lower costs for hardworking families and fight for North Carolina,» the campaign told Fox News Digital.
Some Republicans are skeptical of that reasoning. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said moderates are afraid to challenge their progressive flank as candidates championing the far left have gained ground in the 2026 midterm primaries. «That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high,» Cruz said at an energy summit hosted by Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures. «Schumer is truly terrified right now,» he added, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
In the video interview, Cooper said the party will only weaken itself in its resistance to the administration if it does not band together. «Particularly now when we're in such difficult straits and we're in a foxhole right now. We've all got to be together to take our government back,» Cooper said. «We could fall to the autocracy, anytime we don't stick together. So, I don't see the need signing something.»
Cooper has secured the Democratic nomination and now heads to the Nov. 3 general election, where he faces Republican nominee Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. The race is expected to draw national attention as both parties test their messages in a competitive Southern state.
