Mark Robinson vows to stay in race for governor following CNN investigation
September 19, 2024
This is a developing story.
Multiple news outlets reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the North Carolina Republican Party nominee for governor in the November election, is under pressure from his party and individuals within the Trump campaign to withdraw from the race.
The reports presaged a CNN story released today that highlighted newly discovered online comments Robinson made prior to his time in public office.
According to the CNN investigation, Robinson referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” a “perv” and said “slavery is not bad” in messages posted on a pornography website more than a decade ago.
The story, which sent leaks and rumors flying across North Carolina politics ahead of its publication Thursday, also says Robinson, who has repeatedly made statement hostile to transgender people, wrote that he enjoyed watching transgender pornography. He also said that he enjoyed “peeping” on women in public gym showers when he was 14 years old.
Robinson’s comments, made years before he became a public figure, mark another scandal in a campaign for governor already known for controversial comments and speeches about race, gender, sexuality and a range of other issues.
Robinson, however, says he’s not going anywhere.
The Carolina Journal — a news outlet owned by the conservative John Locke Foundation — first reported Thursday that there was Republican pressure for him to drop out of the race. In an emailed statement to NC Newsline, campaign manager Michael Lonergan said the report was “complete fiction.”
And in a video posted to social media Thursday afternoon, Robinson echoed that sentiment and blamed the “news media” and his opponent, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, for what he called “outrageous lies” and “tabloid trash.”
“Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he said. “You know my words, you know my character and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before.”
“In this race right now, my opponent is desperate to shift the focus here from the substantive issues and focus on what you are concerned with, to salacious tabloid trash. We cannot allow that to happen.”
And he compared himself to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who once said he was a victim of “a high-tech lynching.”
“Well, it looks like Mark Robinson is too.”
Attorney General Josh Stein’s campaign said in a statement following the story’s publication: “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be Governor. Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”
Prior to the CNN story’s publication, Robinson’s campaign cancelled two public events Robinson was scheduled to attend Thursday in Henderson and Norlina.
A woman who works at Skipper Forsyth’s BBQ in Henderson said the campaign called this morning to cancel the meet-and-greet because of rain. Rachel’s Whistle Stop Cafe also confirmed a mid-day event in Norlina was cancelled, but did not say why.
What a potential Robinson drop-out would mean for North Carolina ballots
State law requires candidates who wish to drop out of a race to do so “prior to the first day on which military and overseas absentee ballots are transmitted to voters,” which, as the result of recent court rulings issued in the case involving presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is tomorrow — September 20.
If Robinson were to withdraw from the race, the state Republican Party executive committee would choose a replacement. If the withdrawal were to occur after ballots are distributed, Robinson’s name would remain on the ballot, and votes he received would go to the named replacement. State law would bar the GOP from selecting either of the candidates Robinson defeated in the March primary — State Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney Bill Graham.
Republican candidates wipe Robinson from social media, call on him to drop out
Multiple North Carolina Republicans down the ballot made efforts to distance themselves from Robinson on Thursday before the story’s publication.
Senate candidate Scott Lassiter, who is running in Wake County and backed Robinson’s opponent Folwell in the primary, called on the lieutenant governor to suspend his campaign in light of “the most recent scandal.”
“I’m running to represent the people of southern Wake County and our shared values,” Lassiter said. “It is now clear that nothing about Mark Robinson’s campaign reflects those values. For the good of the state and our party, I believe he should suspend his campaign to allow a quality candidate to finish this race.”
And the Republican candidate for Labor Commissioner, Luke Farley, allegedly deleted social media posts of him with Robinson, according to his Democratic opponent Braxton Winston II.
Farley’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Other Democrats also weighed in on the story Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross said Robinson “wasn’t fit to be governor before this story, and it’s even more clear today that he isn’t fit to lead our state.”
Timeline of recent key events in the North Carolina Governor’s race:
September 19, 2024 – Democrat Josh Stein has a 11-point lead over Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson based on 54 polls, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.
September 18, 2024 – Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance appears in Raleigh. He introduced Republican candidates for four of North Carolina’s U.S. House seats; Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was notably absent.
September 17, 2024 – Trailing by significant margins in recent polling, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson challenges Attorney General Josh Stein to a gubernatorial debate. In his video, Robinson calls Stein a “liar” and “cowardly.” A Stein campaign spokeswoman declined saying “A debate would only serve to legitimize him and provide a platform for his vile and dangerous rhetoric, and we won’t be part of that.”
September 13, 2024 – The state Board of Elections announces that all 100 counties will send military and citizen overseas ballots to people who requested them on Friday, Sept. 20. The first wave of absentee ballot mailings for all other voters will begin Sept. 24.
September 9, 2024 – A Quinnipiac poll of 940 likely voters show Josh Stein leading Mark Robinson by 12 points
September 3, 2024 – The Assembly publishes a lengthy investigative story with the accounts of six men who said the Republican gubernatorial candidate frequented Greensboro video-porn shops in the ’90s and early 2000s. His campaign called the story “ridiculous allegations.”
August 30, 2024 – Robinson began crisscrossing the state for a series of meet-and-greets at restaurants. His campaign has advertised it as the start of his “Statewide Tour”
August 27, 2024 – Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson favorability lags far behind that of Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein. Robinson was viewed favorably by 30% and unfavorably by half the voters. Stein was viewed favorably by 44% of voters and unfavorably by 29%. Robinson talks about becoming the state’s first Black governor, yet 64% of Black voters in this poll had unfavorable impressions of him.
July 6, 2024 – Nonprofit led by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s wife told to repay $132,000 after NCDHHS investigation
June 30, 2024 – Lt. Gov. and Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson told a North Carolina church audience on that “some folks need killing.”
NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and X.
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