Mark Robinson raises alarm bells in North Carolina gubernatorial race

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is no stranger to controversy. For years, the ultra-conservative Republican has defended, justified, apologized for, and grappled with the fallout from his well-documented history of offensive and outrageous statements. First elected in 2020, Robinson quickly became one of the highest profile conservatives in the perennially purple state, despite having previously disseminated antisemitic conspiracy theories, labeled the Holocaust "a bunch of hogwash," and denounced survivors of the Parkland high school shooting as "media prosti-tots." As lieutenant governor, Robinson's premier accomplishment was launching the Fairness and Accountability in the Classroom for Teachers and Students (FACTS) task force, designed to investigate what he described as "indoctrination" and "politicizing the classroom."

This week, Robinson secured the North Carolina Republican Party's gubernatorial nomination in the Super Tuesday primaries, earning 66% of the votes cast while beating his nearest competitor by more than 3:1. He will now face state Attorney General Josh Stein in November in a race that is being watched with extra scrutiny due to Robinson's history of hateful rhetoric. 

Could Robinson's candidacy tip North Carolina blue once more in an election year for which Democrats are eager to make conservative extremism a central theme, or does the man who believes "God formed me" to fight against LGBTQ+ communities have a real shot at the governor's mansion?

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'Crackpots can excel in electoral politics'

Even some of his fellow Republicans have "recognized the fact that Robinson is simply too extreme," said MSNBC's Steve Benen. That means there's "no shortage of relevant angles" to a race in which Robinson's "absurd candidacy" could hurt GOP chances in other races across the state. Ultimately, however, "which Republicans — other than Donald Trump — are going to take a firm stand in support of Robinson's candidacy?" His platform deserves to be a "genuine scandal for the contemporary GOP" even in an era where "crackpots can excel in electoral politics."

Already the Republican Governors Association has come out in full support of Robinson as someone who will "put the people of North Carolina first." In a statement released shortly after Robinson's primary victory, RGA chair Gov. Bill Lee (R-Tenn.) congratulated Robinson on his win, and said he looked forward to "supporting him in the general election." 

Criticizing HuffPost for selectively quoting Robinson saying he wanted to return to the "America where women couldn't vote" (the broader context of his remarks were referencing how late-19th and early 20th century Republicans fought for women's suffrage), Luther Ray Abel in the conservative National Review said the candidate was "already unfit for office" in a way that supersedes the "standards for decency [which] have taken lefts and rights of late."

The dominant MAGA strain of conservatism isn't "in this to make friends or build community," Salon's Amanda Marcotte said. Otherwise, they "wouldn't nominate someone like Robinson, who is bound to turn off swing voters."

'He is a fighter'

The looming matchup between Robinson and Stein is, to many observers, a microcosm of the presidential election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and of the dominant ideological conflict in national politics at large. Robinson "is a fighter," in the same vein as Trump, GOP consultant and pro-Robinson super PAC leader Jonathan Felts said to USA Today, adding that the race is "definitely going to resemble the national election" in that regard. 

North Carolina's governor's race is "shaping up to be one of the most competitive and closely watched faceoffs in the battleground state," ABC News said. The stark contrast between the candidates could ultimately serve as "precedent for voters' choices in the polling booth for the November general election, particularly on the federal level."

With both Robinson and Stein "planning to portray each other in politically extreme terms," their contest could "boost turnout not only for their elections, but also for the presidential race in the hotly contested state," The New York Times said. Robinson ultimately will "become a liability," said one GOP consultant, and could "create a toxic red tide for Republicans" statewide.