Democrats are set to ramp up efforts to unify Republicans with Mark Robinson on the ballot in North Carolina after the GOP gubernatorial nominee reported. made inflammatory comments on a pornography site message board.
National and state Democratic groups have already made Robinson central to their strategy in down-ballot races across the state, amid a long list of inflammatory remarks he’s made over the years. But the result from CNN’s latest report it only added fuel to the fire.
In addition to North Carolina’s presidential and gubernatorial stakes, Democrats are also aiming to win enough legislative seats in the state Legislature to overcome the supermajority Republicans have held for the past two years.
Republicans used that power to override Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes of conservative legislation. abortion, election and LGBTQ politics.
While Democrats have no way to flip the state House or Senate in North Carolina this year, they only need to flip one seat in both chambers to chip away at the GOP majority, which would be a huge boon for Democrat Josh Stein. goes on to defeat Robinson in the gubernatorial race.
“The good news is that with the general election environment — with Kamala Harris on the rise — and now with these revelations about Robinson, there are plenty of ways to chip away at Republican majorities, especially in suburban districts around the state, in both chambers,” said Forward Majority, a Democratic super PAC. CEO Vicky Hausman said.
Last week, Forward Majority revealed this had increased spending plans $35 million to $45 million this term in legislative races. Hausman said specific allocations have not yet been finalized, but added that North Carolina “will be a big part of the expanded investment plans.”
Hausman also said the new investments will raise the profile of state legislative races that don’t get much attention in North Carolina.
A state Republican operative, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly, pointed out that Democrats have been using this strategy for months, skeptical that additional efforts to tie Robinson’s rhetoric to legislative candidates would pay additional dividends.
“They were already doing it in the districts and through mail and television. So, you know, it remains to be seen if more of them will really have any additional effect,” he said. “They’ve been trying to get legislative candidates to tie up Robinson for months now. Honestly, there’s no real change if, you know, if they can really tie him up more. ?”
Meanwhile, officials at The States Project — a Democratic group that plans to spend at least $70 million in state legislative races this cycle in nine states — Robinson said recent comments could lead to increased investment in North Carolina.
“We’re doubling down,” group spokeswoman Simone Leiro said when asked if Robinson’s recent comments would affect their efforts in North Carolina. Leiro said Robinson’s recent comments were “a big shift in defining so clearly to voters what is on the ballot.”
“The message from voters was consistent: Extremism is not what they want to see in their representatives, yet North Carolina House Republicans have proven just how extreme they really are by refusing to censure Mark Robinson,” Leiro said.
who are officials of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee pledged to spend $60 million on state legislative races this cycle He pointed out that endorsed candidates, including in North Carolina, have already tied their Republican rivals with Robinson.
While Robinson’s latest revelations are perhaps uniquely offensive, group officials said they do not change the overall calculus of the group’s strategy in the state.
“Our state legislative candidates are already grappling with the dangers of having someone like Mark Robinson in office. Nothing’s going to change on that front — it’s going to continue,” DLCC spokesman Will Rusche said. “His comments have certainly been and will continue to be something we’ve kept front and center in our campaigns.”
For their part, national Democrats wasted no time in seizing on the latest Robinson news. Democratic National Committee has launched new ads linking him to former President Donald Trump Just one day after the CNN report.
Other Democrats said highlighting the latest records in ads, direct mail and other campaign literature would be a useful tool to keep Republicans at home on Election Day — which could benefit Democrats in the polls.
A Democratic operative in North Carolina predicted that Robinson’s latest bombshell would be used as a tool to reduce Republican turnout while also “empowering” Democrats.
“The idea is that this development will further suffocate Republicans who are already disillusioned with their candidate,” the operative said.
The detective also cautioned that it is too early to assess what will happen as a result.
“We’re still waiting to see what Trump does and what the other Republican candidates in the state do — there may still be a conservative movement to defend him … or he may run away,” the operative said, referring to Robinson.
NBC News Trump said about this on Friday He does not plan to endorse Robinson. Robinson will not attend a Trump rally scheduled for Saturday in Wilmington, NC, according to a person familiar with the planning of the event.
Trump’s campaign released a statement Thursday afternoon saying “The former president is focused on winning the White House and saving this country,” he said, adding that “North Carolina is an important part of that plan.”
There are several Republican legislators criticized Robinson took on the comments, but none called for him to drop out. The North Carolina Republican Party defended Robinson in a statement Thursday night, accusing the left of “trying to demonize him with personal attacks.”
In a video sent to X on ThursdayRobinson denied the allegations made in the CNN report.
That report said Robinson described himself as a “black Nazi” on the pornographic website Nude Africa, expressed his support for the abolition of slavery and told sexually suggestive stories, including a memory of “staring” at women in the shower at a gym. Before Robinson, who was elected lieutenant governor in 2020, entered politics, CNN reported that the posts were made between 2008 and 2012 under the username “minisoldr”.
A spokeswoman for Robinson’s campaign did not respond to questions from NBC News Friday about the impact the candidate’s recent comments would have on other North Carolina races.
No Republican legislative candidates in North Carolina publicly condemned Robinson after CNN’s report Friday afternoon.
Asked why, the state Republican operative, who is allowed to speak candidly, said, “Our highest priority has always been to ensure that President Trump wins and to ensure that our candidates have ample resources. Winning the attorney general race for the first time in 125 years and retaining control of the appeals courts and supermajorities in the General Assembly.”
The operative did not mention the governor’s race.
An official of the Republican State Leadership Committee, who undertook to increase spending $50 million in state legislative races this cycledid not respond to questions Friday.
The group recently removed Robinson from a web page detailing members of one of its flagship programs, the Right Leaders Network. (Robinson was listed as one of the council’s chairmen like mondaybut his name and picture They left the page on Friday).
An official with the Republican Governors Association also did not respond to questions from NBC News on Friday.
Despite muted GOP support for Robinson, most Democrats refuse to assume any notion of success in a state where margins have been razor-thin in the past few gubernatorial and presidential races.
“We can’t take anything for granted,” said Sam Newton, spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association.
“We already knew he was unfit — he’s used violent and dangerous rhetoric many times before,” Newton said of Robinson. “We have to keep our foot on the gas.”