North Carolina Gov. Cooper receives $1.2 million, with NC Democratic Leadership Committee as top donor


In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper is the number three fundraiser in state politics in the 2022 election cycle so far. According to the most recent campaign finance reports made to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), the governor received $1,212,060 in total contributions and spent $472,591 between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Cooper’s current term ends in 2025.

Gov. Cooper is a member of the Democratic Party and first assumed office in 2017.

Gov. Cooper’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2017-2021)

Source: Transparency USA

Contributions to Gov. Cooper

Of the $1.2 million already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 14.2 percent came from the top 10 donors.

Top Donors to Gov. Cooper (1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021)

RankTotal AmountDonor NameDonor Type
1.$115,385NC Democratic Leadership CommitteeEntity
2.$11,200Catherine MorrisIndividual
3.$6,100Mack B PearsallIndividual
4.$5,700Jeanette W HydeIndividual
5.$5,600Adam SilverIndividual
6.$5,600Adam SteinIndividual
7.$5,600Alana CraycraftIndividual
8.$5,600Amelia Kay GachIndividual
9.$5,600Amy Susan GrissomIndividual
10.$5,600Ann L CampbellIndividual

Expenditures by Gov. Cooper

On the expenditures side, Gov. Cooper reported $472,591, with 81.9 percent of all spending going to the 10 payees topping the list. 

Top Expenditures by Gov. Cooper (1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021)

RankTotal AmountPayee NamePayee Type
1.$185,451Nexus Strategies IncEntity
2.$74,222RWT Production LLCEntity
3.$29,401Mariah MorganEntity
4.$28,300Battleaxe Digital LLCEntity
5.$16,992Vantiv LLCEntity
6.$12,275Windward Strategies IncEntity
7.$12,000Carla MarinEntity
8.$10,962ADP as Depository for Payroll TaxesEntity
9.$9,419Ces Mail Communications IncEntity
10.$8,442Act BlueEntity

How Gov. Cooper’s fundraising compares to other governors

Among elected officials holding the same level of state office, fundraising varies widely. A number of factors, including whether an incumbent officeholder is running for reelection, influence donor activity. Here is how fundraising by North Carolina Gov. Cooper compares to the 10 other governors with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:

Fundraising reported by 11 U.S. governors in the 2022 election cycle

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active North Carolina PACs submitted to the NCSBE. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2022 Semiannual1/28/2022
2022 Q1 Plus5/10/2022
2022 Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot)7/29/2022
2022 Q3 Plus10/31/2022
2022 Q41/11/2023
2022 Year End Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot)1/27/2023

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.