Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper and his U.S. Senate campaign swung through the Triangle on Thursday, with a rally held at Durham’s American Tobacco Campus for supporters.

Cooper, who won the Democratic primary last month, is branding his current stretch of the campaign as the “Make Stuff Cost Less” tour and focuses on his goals of addressing the high cost of living if elected to Washington D.C. in November. Thursday’s event featured several other prominent North Carolina and Triangle-area Democrat elected officials — including Gov. Josh Stein, North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls, U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, and N.C. Sen. Natalie Murdock, who each endorsed Cooper’s campaign and argued Republicans’ control of Washington D.C. is contributing to the affordability crisis.

View photos from the scene in Durham below, as taken by Brighton McConnell of the Chapel Hill Media Group. Tap or click on an image to enlarge and scroll through the gallery.

(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(House Minority Leader and District 54 Rep. Robert Reives at Thursday’s rally for Roy Cooper’s U.S. Senate campaign. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead at Thursday’s rally for Roy Cooper’s U.S. Senate campaign. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. District 20 Sen. Natalie Murdock speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. District 20 Sen. Natalie Murdock speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
U.S. Rep Valerie Foushee (NC-04) speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
U.S. Rep Valerie Foushee (NC-04) speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls prepares to speak at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls speaks at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls welcomes North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein to the stage at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks to the crowd at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks to the crowd at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks to the crowd at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks to the crowd at Roy Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein welcomes Roy Cooper to the stage at Cooper’s “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and his wife, Kristin, wave to the crowd to the crowd at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper with supporters at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
(Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper with supporters at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper with supporters at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper with supporters at his “Make Stuff Cost Less” campaign rally in Durham on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026. (Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.)

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