Undercover video exposes Dem Senate nominee's plan to embrace socialists: 'Got to be together'

Roy Cooper Opens Door to Socialist Democrats Within Party Ranks as North Carolina Senate Race Heats Up

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, now a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, has signaled that he wants his party to cast a wider net — even if that means embracing candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

Cooper, who served as governor from 2017 through 2025, is vying to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis in a contest that could determine whether North Carolina continues its recent shift toward competitive swing-state status. His comments on party unity came during a video interview, portions of which were obtained by Fox News Digital, and they have sparked fresh debate over whether moderate Democrats and the party's progressive flank can coexist heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

At the center of the controversy is the "Promise to America," a document circulated by moderate Democrats that repudiates socialist policy positions. When asked whether he would sign it, Cooper was direct.

"I don't see any need to," he said. He went on to argue that the GOP's increasing internal discipline makes a broad Democratic coalition essential. "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."

Cooper's remarks raise pointed questions about how the Democratic Party's various factions might reconcile their visions in the months before the midterm elections. The DSA, whose membership has grown in recent cycles, advocates a platform that includes abolishing the U.S. Senate, establishing public ownership of major corporations, and dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The organization's website presents a utopian vision in which "you have no debt," "comfortable housing is a human right," and "food, education, energy, medicine and transportation aren't for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities."

Cooper has been careful to distance himself from those positions. In an interview with the New York Times, he was asked flatly whether he is a Communist. His answer was unequivocal.

"For the record, no," Cooper said. "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."

His campaign reinforced that message in a statement to Fox News Digital, noting that Cooper's loyalties lie with his home state. "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 declined to directly address whether Cooper's policy agenda conflicts with the DSA's, stating simply that his commitments are reserved for his constituents.

Cooper's bid to court a broad coalition comes as some on the right warn that the Democratic Party is being pulled toward its fringes. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, speaking at an energy summit hosted by Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures, said that Republican moderates are increasingly reluctant to challenge progressive insurgents who have surged in primary contests.

"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. He also took a shot at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, declaring, "Schumer is truly terrified right now."

Cooper, for his part, framed party unity as a matter of political survival. "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," he said. He added, "We could fall to the autocracy, anytime we don't stick together. So, I don't see the need signing something."

Having secured the Democratic nomination, Cooper now turns his attention to the November 3 general election, where he will face Republican nominee Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country, with both sides pouring resources into a state that has become a major battleground. Cooper's ability to hold together a big-tent coalition — and fend off questions about his alignment with the democratic socialist movement — will likely be a defining factor in the months ahead.