He at the very least didn't shut down the idea. This was published yesterday.

"“I’m going to take the next two months and not make any decisions about going forward. I’ve been in public service a while. I’m going to take some time to see what the next chapter is. For me, I want to continue to make a difference,” Cooper told The N&O in mid-December. And, (running for Senate) “will be one of the things I look at as a potential.”

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