Mark Robinson, facing pressure from other Republicans, says he won't suspend NC gubernatorial campaign
Published 8:21 p.m. yesterday
By Capitol Broadcasting Company
CNN reported that Robinson posted frequently on the website “Nude Africa” between 2008 and 2012 about a variety of topics. He referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” in one comment and, in another, remarked that he’d have preferred Adolf Hitler as president rather than Barack Obama. In another comment on the website, he wrote that “some people need to be slaves,” according to CNN.
Prior to CNN’s publication of the report, Robinson posted a video on social media in which he preemptively denied the allegations. He said he plans to remain in the race against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein, the state’s sitting attorney general.
"They want to focus on salacious tabloid lies," he said. "We're not going to let them do that. We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it."
A spokesperson for CNN didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Robinson also made a number of sexually explicit comments on the website, CNN reported, including apparent admissions of “peeping” in a women’s gym. “I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” Robinson wrote, according to CNN. The network also highlighted statements from Robinson in which he says he prefers transgender pornography.
“I like watching [transgender]-on-girl porn!” Robinson wrote, using a slur for transgender people, according to CNN.
As a public official, Robinson has made opposition to transgender rights a key focus of many speeches in recent years.
While Robinson has a history of divisive statements, the comments unearthed by CNN seemed to go beyond what he’s said in the past, some Republicans said.
“If the recent allegations against Robinson are true, combined with his previous public rhetoric, I believe it’s time for him to step aside,” Scott Lassiter, a Republican former Apex town councilman and current state Senate candidate, told WRAL.
Lassiter said he would favor a new candidate — even though the election is just weeks away. “North Carolinians deserve a viable choice in this election,” he said. “… 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.”
'Where this race is headed'
Robinson on Thursday was scheduled to appear at events in Henderson and Norlina. Those events were canceled. He was also scheduled to attend a Raleigh speech by Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Wednesday. Robinson ultimately didn’t attend.
As the CNN story broke Thursday, national political analysts at Sabato’s Crystal Ball announced they’d shifted their prediction for North Carolina’s gubernatorial race from “leans Democratic” to “likely Democratic.” Robinson seemed to be slipping further behind in the polls since the group shifted its prediction from “toss up” to “leans Democratic” last month.
Overall, 51% of likely November voters support Stein and 37% support Robinson, with 11% undecided, according to the WRAL News Poll of 676 likely voters, which was released this month. The gap has widened significantly since March, when the previous WRAL News Poll showed Stein with a 44%-to-42% lead over Robinson.
Thursday’s events are indicative of where the race is headed, Coleman said.
On Thursday morning, before the Robinson was published, Stein held a "Republicans for Stein" event featuring dozens of former GOP politicos, including elected officials, who said they were backing Stein over Robinson. “That’s a decent summation of where this race is headed,” Coleman said.
Robinson and Stein are seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited and cannot run again. Cooper has endorsed Stein to succeed him.
“Is there something special that happened?” Cooper said at a Raleigh event on Thursday when asked by a reporter about the pressure on Robinson. “Every day could be a reason for him to have dropped out of the race. He is the wrong choice for North Carolina.”
In a statement, the Stein campaign said the CNN report shows Robinson isn’t fit for office. “Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone,” the statement said.
'Allegations are concerning'
Robinson has a long and public history of making incendiary comments about Jews, Muslims, women, LGBTQ people and others — remarks that for years have caused some Republican insiders to question the viability of his candidacy in a general election.
Recent polls show Stein with a commanding lead in the polls even as the presidential race remains more or less tied in North Carolina. Much of the difference, the polls show, is that Stein is pulling more support from self-described conservative voters than Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
