Democrats still in the dumps over last year’s elections have found cause for optimism in North Carolina, where former Gov. Roy Cooper jumped into the race for that state’s newly open seat with a vow to address voters’ persistent concerns about the

WASHINGTON — Democrats are dropping their bids to run for the open Senate seat in North Carolina, clearing the way for former Gov. Roy Cooper in what the party views as its best chance to flip a seat in the upper chamber next November.