Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor, recently lost the race to Democrat Josh Stein, partly due to the backlash over disturbing comments he made on a pornography site decades ago.
CNN reported that between 2008 and 2012, Mark Robinson posted on a message board of a pornography site called 'Nude Africa,' where he referred to himself as a “perv” for enjoying transgender adult content. His posts on the site, which resurfaced amid his political campaign, revealed explicit comments that starkly contrasted his conservative public stance on LGBTQ+ issues.
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What did Mark Robinson say?
According to the same CNN News report, in the same forum in October 2010, Robinson additionally voiced support for the reintroduction of slavery, stating:
“Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it [slavery] back. I would certainly buy a few,”
In March 2012, during the Obama administration, he wrote:
“I’d take Hitler over any of the shit that’s in Washington right now!”
After CNN linked Mark Robinson to a profile allegedly posting extreme views under the alias 'minisoldr,' which included references to being a 'black NAZI!' and unsettling remarks on slavery and explicit content, Republican leaders and donors largely distanced themselves from him.
Robinson has denied any connection to the account and is reportedly taking legal action against CNN and other outlets reporting these claims. The controversy significantly affected his support within the party and likely influenced the outcome of his gubernatorial campaign.
In September, Mark Robinson posted a statement regarding the controversy on his X account. He wrote:
"I wanted to take a minute to address the latest outrageous lies coming from my opponent’s dishonest campaign"
In March, Donald Trump endorsed Robinson, praising him as:
“Martin Luther King on steroids” during a rally.
However, by October, amid concerns that Robinson’s controversial image could jeopardize Republicans' chances in the state’s presidential race, Trump avoided public appearances with him. When asked if he planned to retract his endorsement, Trump responded:
“I’m not familiar with the race. I haven’t seen it.”
Despite North Carolina’s Republican dominance in the legislature and statewide offices, Robinson never led in the polls and faced the biggest defeat for a Republican in this race in 20 years. While final results aren’t yet available, he significantly lagged behind Trump, indicating a loss of support from swing voters within his party.
Robinson’s loss aligns with a longstanding trend for Republicans in North Carolina’s gubernatorial races. According to the Guardian, in the past 32 years, only two Republicans—Pat McCrory (2013-2017) and Jim Martin (1985-1993)—have held the governor's office. Josh Stein’s victory over Mark Robinson is historic as he is the first Jewish governor in North Carolina.
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