NAACP chapter president to run for governor

NAACP Beaumont chapter president the Rev. Michael Cooper on Thursday launched his third bid in three years for statewide office.

He chose the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park to announce his plans to run for Texas governor in 2023.

Cooper pledged an education-focused campaign based on increasing teacher pay, doing away with standardized testing as a teaching tool for all and giving more attention to the mental health needs of students.