Republicans are scrambling to cushion the blow from North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson's latest scandal, fearing it could cost the state more than just the governor's mansion as it becomes a key battleground in the presidential election.
Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Robinson following a shocking CNN report Thursday that found him to have made a number of inflammatory comments about race, gender and sexual orientation, while Democrats are trying to highlight his ties to other candidates, including former President Trump, who has praised the North Carolina lieutenant governor in the past.
While it remains unclear what impact Robinson will have on the White House race or other races in the Tar Heel State, Republicans acknowledge that the controversy over their gubernatorial candidate could hamper the party in the November election.
“This is a unique situation where not only do you have someone who is putting lower-level constituencies at risk, but it's also going to impact higher-level constituencies,” said one Republican consultant who works in North Carolina, adding that it could “really hurt” Trump's chances of winning the state.
Robinson's candidacy already appeared to be in jeopardy before the latest reports broke: North Carolina is a key battleground state where Trump and Vice President Harris are currently neck and neck, but Democratic candidate Josh Stein has led Robinson by double digits in many polls.
Lawmakers from both parties expected the November election to be much closer, but Stein was seen as likely to win.
Those sentiments were intensified following reports that Robinson had posted a number of comments on a pornography message board, including calling himself a “black Nazi,” wanting to reinstate slavery and wishing Adolf Hitler would lead the country instead of former President Obama.
Prior to the article's publication, rumors had been circulating online throughout Thursday that Republicans were urging Robinson to drop out, as he was already struggling and his campaign was set to take another hit. The timing was immediately critical, as candidates only had until just before midnight on Friday to drop out of the race.
But Robinson vowed to continue campaigning ahead of CNN's report, seemingly dashing any hopes of a last-minute change. He called the report fake and accused Steen's campaign of leaking information.
The consultant said he privately believed Robinson would step down and that state political leaders “all know” the deadline was looming, but Robinson's statement made it clear “there is no turning back.”
A little late, State officials sent The first absentee ballots cast Friday included Robinson's name as well as the names of other Republicans running for office in the state who have previously publicly supported him.
State Political Parties They released a statement Thursday night While they supported Robinson and accused Democrats of trying to “demonize” him, other Republicans criticized their comments and suggested they were concerned about what it might mean for potential Republican victories statewide.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis (Republican) Post to social platform X He said the party “must stay focused on the elections we can win,” referring to Trump and the state legislative and judicial races.
Carter Wren, a veteran North Carolina Republican strategist, said the outcome of a gubernatorial race usually doesn't have much of an impact on a presidential election, but this time it could have an impact if Robinson loses as much as the polls suggest.
Trump gave Robinson a much-needed endorsement during the primary, further solidifying his already front-runner status as the nominee, and Democrats are now trying to draw a connection between the two, pointing to Trump's praise of Robinson.
Harris' campaign's X account Post lots of photos Trump and Robinson and Video Former President Complementing Robinson.
The Trump campaign did not directly address the allegations against Robinson in a statement but emphasized the importance of North Carolina to Trump's path to victory.
“President Trump's campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving our country,” said Caroline Leavitt, national spokesperson for the campaign. “North Carolina is a key part of that plan. We are confident that President Trump will win North Carolina again when voters compare the Trump Administration's record of a strong economy, low inflation, secure borders and safe cities with the failures of a Biden-Harris Administration. We will not take our eyes off that goal.”
However, sources told The Hill that Robinson will not attend a Trump rally scheduled for Saturday in the state, where the gubernatorial candidate attended one last month.
Wren said Robinson and Trump have similar weaknesses when it comes to character issues and both could fall from grace.
“It's the floating vote that really matters. They're going to look at Robinson and say, 'I don't like him, so I'm not going to vote for him,'” he said. “They might say they don't like Trump either.”
Democrats, meanwhile, are more optimistic than ever about their chances of winning in the state. They say that while the race is never over until all the votes are counted, Stein should gain momentum, and so should other Democrats.
Doug Wilson, a North Carolina Democratic strategist, said he still believes the race could be tight heading into November, but that Robinson may be having a more negative impact on Trump than initially thought. In a recent opinion poll Harris leads the state by one point.
“This shows that Harris is gaining momentum here and that Robinson has undermined Trump more than I and many other strategists realize,” Wilson said.
Republicans said the impact could be even greater in lower-level elections.
Doug Hay, a North Carolina Republican strategist, called the revelations a “death blow” for lower-ranking candidates, and one candidate vying for statewide office said he thought they were “done.”
“They're going to be stung by this,” Hay said.
Several candidates appear poised to make a difference in the major elections.
Republican Rep. Laurie Buckhout, who is running in the only congressional district facing a Democratic incumbent, appears to have removed at least two photos of her and Robinson from her X account. I called her. On top of that.
Scott Lassiter, Republican candidate for the battleground state Senate district, I called Robinson. His candidacy was suspended after the report surfaced.
North Carolina consultants said they wouldn't be surprised if other candidates follow Lassiter's lead, but the results will become clear next week. Candidates tend to take a wait-and-see approach, but they will need to decide “to what extent” they want to disavow Robinson or ask for his resignation, they said.
“I think that's what's needed to get a lot of people ready to run again,” the consultant said.
Wrenn said he thinks that's unlikely, predicting candidates “will shake their heads and say, 'I don't know the facts. It's not a good story,' and then they'll shut up and say nothing more.” He said candidates in heavily Republican districts may feel safe and don't want to anger Republican voters.
“But if you're in a district where swing votes matter, this action against Mr Robinson will hurt,” he said.
