Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness Bridging the Political Divide with Roy Cooper
Feb 24, 2026
Roy Cooper, former North Carolina governor and long-serving state official focused on health care and bipartisan governance. He talks about bridging political divides with empathy. He recalls bipartisan wins like Medicaid expansion. He reflects on faith shaping public service and urges face-to-face community over social media.
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Haywood Holderness Started Practical Faith Work
- Roy Cooper recounts Haywood Holderness serving as an interim pastor and acting on faith through community service.
- He highlights Haywood's role in starting Urban Ministries and spreading food banks across North Carolina.
Empathy And Decency Are Political Tools
- Cooper emphasizes yearning for decency and standing in others' shoes as political tools to reduce vitriol.
- He links empathy to policy outcomes and describes humility as essential when transitioning from state to federal office.
Republican Sheriffs Helped Win Medicaid Expansion
- Cooper tells how Republican sheriffs and county leaders lobbied for Medicaid expansion, persuading legislators it would reduce jail mental-health cases and save rural hospitals.
- That coalition led to 700,000 North Carolinians gaining coverage after bipartisan passage.
