All living former governors of North Carolina are supporting current Governor Roy Cooper in his legal challenge against Senate Bill 749, which aims to restructure the state's elections oversight. In a brief submitted to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, these former governors, from both parties, opposed the bill, which was passed despite Governor Cooper's veto and without any Democratic votes, according to the North Carolina Office of the Governor.
Republican and Democrat governors, including Hunt, Martin, Easley, Perdue, and McCrory, have commented on the matter. Earlier this year, a bipartisan superior court panel permanently blocked the bill, calling it an unconstitutional power grab, but legislators have taken the issue to the appellate court. Governor Cooper stated, "All living North Carolina governors – Republican and Democrat – agree this legislation is unconstitutional and unjustified." The state's tradition of gubernatorial-appointed election boards has been in place since 1901 and has ensured fair elections for over a century, as stated by the North Carolina Office of the Governor.
In a brief to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, they argue that the bill, enacted without Democratic votes and over Cooper's veto, could introduce partisan deadlock into elections. The former governors emphasize that North Carolina has managed elections fairly and warn that the bill could delay outcomes, shifting decision-making from voters to the courts or legislature and undermining bipartisan cooperation in election management, as reported by the North Carolina Office of the Governor.
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