Cooper may eye 2016 run for governor

Cooper, a Democrat, has been an oft-mentioned potential contender over the last several election cycles. In his campaigns for Attorney General, he has pulled more votes than other well known Democrats like President Barack Obama and Gov. Bev Perdue.

"I am concerned about where we're headed in our state," Cooper said Thursday when asked if he might run in 2016. "I'm concerned about that direction. I want to be a part of that change. It's certainly too early to make any formal announcements, but I certainly want to be part of moving North Carolina forward and moving in the right direction."

Cooper has publicly disagreed with McCrory over high-profile pieces of legislation, including a sweeping new elections law that passed the General Assembly this year. 

So far, the only two declared Democrats are James Protzman, a businessman and Chapel Hill City Councilman best known as a blogger for the BlueNC website, and Kenneth Spaulding, a former state House member, congressional candidate and Board of Transportation member.

It will likely be a long time before the 2016 Democratic field takes shape. The 2014 election will feature a U.S. Senate campaign at the top of the ticket.