Why is Gov. Roy Cooper having a ‘re-election kickoff event’ in another state?

Republicans are criticizing Gov. Roy Cooper for what’s been described as “the Governor’s re-election kickoff event” at a private home in New York City.

The wording appears in an email inviting Cooper’s supporters to a fundraiser this Thursday in New York at the home of Nik and Pritha Mittal. Nik Mittal is an investment fund manager who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and serves on the university’s Honors Board; he previously served on UNC’s Board of Visitors.

“I hope you’ll join us in the Governor’s re-election kickoff event on Thursday, January 31st,” an email from Zach Allen tells supporters. The formal invitation attached doesn’t bill the event as a campaign kickoff; instead, it describes it as “cocktails and conversation with Governor Roy Cooper.”

The N.C. Republican Party was quick to blast the out-of-state event when Allen’s email circulated Monday.

“By announcing his re-election campaign for governor of North Carolina in New York City, that tells voters all they need to know about Roy Cooper,” NCGOP chairman Robin Hayes said. “Behind that folksy facade is a big-city liberal Democrat ready to bring failed tax-and-spend policies to NC to please his wealthy Wall Street donors.”

Morgan Jackson, who oversees Cooper’s campaign, said the campaign doesn’t comment on private fundraising events.

The Cooper campaign appears to be using the “kick off” description on multiple fundraising events; the phrase also appears on an invitation obtained by the NC Insider for a February fundraiser in Raleigh.

This story was originally published January 29, 2019 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Why is Gov. Roy Cooper having a ‘re-election kickoff event’ in another state?."