In what could be the worst display of “bad loser”-itis this year, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a number of new pieces of legislation that will diminish some of his successor’s powers. In response, Governor-Elect Roy Cooper is threatening to sue over this apparent “power grab.”
The latest act by McCrory comes after a bitter North Carolina gubernatorial race between McCrory and Cooper. After the election, McCrory contested the election, asking for a recount. A mere four weeks later, McCrory eventually conceded the results. But he’s still kicking and screaming, as these newly passed legislative measures come a week before he leaves office.
The newest measures, which were helped by the Republican-led state legislature, will make it difficult for Cooper to make special appointments, including those on the Board of Elections. The Hill reports that Cooper would have been able to appoint three of the five members of the board, but that may now change.
The new legislation will be restrictive to Cooper’s incoming administration, but the state’s GOP claimed that Democrats had done the same in the past. Cooper does not seem pleased:
“If I believe these measures are unconstitutional, they will see me in court and they don’t have a good track record there…in the dark of night with little debate…Most people might think this is a partisan power grab, but it’s really more ominous.”
Although Cooper has threatened a lawsuit over the changes, nothing has been officially announced yet.