RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says he has “that 2008 feeling” about Democrats’ chances of winning his state with Vice President Kamala Harris on the top of the ticket.

Speaking at an event hosted by Bloomberg at the Democratic National Convention, Cooper pointed to demographic shifts that have made the state more amenable to Democrats, but also a contentious race to replace him in the governor’s mansion that will generate its own “bottom-up” effect on the ticket.

Cooper acknowledged that he didn’t have the same optimism about his state just weeks ago when Biden was at the top of the ticket.

“Democrats were not united,” said Cooper said, before Biden dropped out. “I’m grateful for his decision to do that because it brought everybody together.”

Cooper pointed to the rave reception for Biden at the convention’s opening night to say, “Everyone loves President Biden.” But he added of Biden’s decision to step aside: “It was the time to do this, it was the time to make history.”

Gov. Cooper will be among the final speakers before Harris accepts the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday. North Carolina is a state that voted for Trump in 2020 but is now a major pickup opportunity for Harris