Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, is facing intense scrutiny following a CNN report alleging that he made controversial comments on an adult website over a decade ago. Despite calls from state Republicans and members of Donald Trump’s campaign team for him to withdraw from the race, Robinson has firmly stated he will remain a candidate.
The report claims that Robinson, who served as the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, used the username “minisoldr” on a pornographic site called Nude Africa between 2008 and 2012. Allegedly, he referred to himself as a “black Nazi” and made comments about enjoying certain types of adult content. Robinson has vehemently denied these claims, labeling them as “salacious tabloid lies” and insisting that the words attributed to him are not his own.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), he characterized the backlash as a “high-tech lynching” orchestrated by his Democratic opponent, Josh Stein. Robinson’s comments have already drawn criticism, particularly from Democrats, who argue that he is unfit for office. Stein, the current North Carolina attorney general and a Harvard-educated lawyer, has a lead in the polls, with his campaign stating that “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be governor.”
Robinson’s campaign has received support from the North Carolina Republican Party, which accused “the Left” of attempting to demonize him through personal attacks. His candidacy has been buoyed by Trump’s endorsement, with the former president previously describing Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
As the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the gubernatorial race has passed, Robinson’s campaign faces significant pressure as early voting approaches in less than a month. Polls indicate that the race is highly competitive, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump effectively tied among likely voters.
North Carolina has historically been a Republican stronghold, but recent efforts by Democrats to mobilize voters suggest a potential shift in the political landscape ahead of the pivotal November elections.
