Cooper said North Carolina Republicans "took money out of western North Carolina" when they passed a Hurricane Helene relief bill last month. Legislators stripped the governor’s power to enhance unemployment benefits using the state’s Emergency Management Act.

Josh Stein was sworn in as the 76th governor of North Carolina on Jan. 1st, 2025, becoming the state’s first Jewish governor and its second consecutive Democratic governor.  Stein seeks to continue the legacy of former Governor Roy Cooper and further his own goals and policy proposals in the next four years.