SHOW ME THE MONEY.

Which Council of State member raised the most money in the second half of 2022? It wasn't one of the two gubernatorial hopefuls, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson or Attorney General Josh Stein.

That distinction goes to Gov. Roy Cooper, who wasn't on the ballot last year and likely won't be in 2024. But his campaign organization was a key player in Democrats' fundraising efforts. It raised $3.9 million between July and December and spent $5 million during that time, according to campaign finance reports filed last week.

His campaign has largely functioned as an outside fundraising effort for the N.C. Democratic Party, which then spent the money on key midterm legislative and judicial campaigns. The Cooper...