A big blow to the Cooper political machine

N.C. Democrats oust their party chair over the weekend, weakening Gov. Roy Cooper's grip on state politics

In a major rebuke of Gov. Roy Cooper’s political machine, North Carolina Democrats voted to oust their state party chairwoman in favor of a high-energy 25-year-old promising to bring “bite” back to the party and battle for votes in rural areas.

Anderson Clayton was selected Saturday to lead the North Carolina Democratic Party for the upcoming two-year cycle. She’s a Roxboro native who moved back to Person County in 2021 after working as a field organizer on a handful of national campaigns.

Clayton promises to pour money into a year-round, paid statewide field organization and bring the liberal message to all corners of North Carolina, but has said little about what exactly that message will be.

Her election also throws a major wrench into Cooper’s plans to secure his legacy in the 2024 cycle and hold his grip on his caucus until then. We’ll explain how in a minute.

How it happened

Clayton takes over from 73-year-old Bobbie Richardson, a former state representative from Franklin County who…