North Carolina’s Republican candidate for governor, Mark Robinson, finds himself at the center of a scandal that has sent shock waves to his campaign with just weeks left before the election. A recently unearthed CNN investigation unveiled a string of provocative comments that Robinson apparently posted between 2008 and 2012 on the pornographic website “Nude Africa,” before he entered politics.
The posts that spurred controversy
The comments underneath, left under the username “minisoldr”-a pseudonym used by Robinson regularly online-included graphic descriptions of sex, racial slurs, and controversy on topics including abortion and transgender rights. The most disturbing of the posts saw Robinson refer to himself as a “Black Nazi” and call for the reinstatement of slavery.
Many of those posts – taken off the site not long after the CNN investigation was published – contradict what Robinson says publicly now about many social issues. Robinson said he did not write the comments, calling the CNN report “outrageous lies.” He condemned his Democratic opponent, Josh Stein, for what he called a “high-tech lynching.”
Republican backlash and calls for resignation
Those revelations have Robinson’s fellow Republicans incensed, with many calling on him to withdraw his gubernatorial candidacy or prove the allegations false in a court of law. Even South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham joined, encouraging Robinson to “sue the hell out of CNN” if the reporting wasn’t true. North Carolina’s US Sen. Thom Tillis said if true, Robinson “owes it to President Trump and every Republican to take responsibility.”
The RGA, too, has pulled out support for Robinson, as its chair, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, announced that no more ad placements would be made on behalf of the candidate. An upcoming fundraiser for Robinson was also axed by the RGA.
Impact on the Gubernatorial Race
The controversy couldn’t be worse timed for Robinson’s campaign, with ballots already hitting mail and North Carolina still expected to be one of the most contested states in the 2024 presidential election. Many in the Republican Party fear the scandal implicating Robinson will bleed into the broader race, though some remain optimistic that voters will differentiate the gubernatorial contest from the presidential race.
Former President Donald Trump, an early Robinson endorser, has kept his distance from the candidate in recent weeks. Trump’s ticket mate, JD Vance, called the purported remarks from Robinson “pretty gross,” but ultimately said it was up to North Carolina voters to decide.
Reaction from Democratic opponent
Josh Stein, the Democratic opponent of Robinson, has wasted no time in heating things up with his campaign against the embattled Republican. It’s in the wake of these allegations that Stein’s campaign has begun running ads against Robinson’s controversial comments, where as early as 2021, he referred to gay and transgender people as “filth” in a church speech.
Stein has outspent Robinson by the millions on television advertising and other media and is still leading in the polls for now in their race for governor. The campaign staff for Robinson quit, among other disputes, over the candidate’s new focus on social issues.
Robinson campaign staffs resign
The setbacks have continued piling on for Robinson’s campaign, with the resignation of four top staff members from their roles: general consultant, campaign manager, finance director, and deputy campaign manager. This is just weeks into the election-a sure sign that things are a right old mess in that camp.
Undeterred, Robinson insists he will remain in the governor’s race. There’s little question that the scandal has made his path to victory more difficult as the Republican Governors Association has pulled its support and his Democratic opponent has seized on the opportunity to attack his character and record.
