Recent polling suggests that Republican North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is struggling to keep pace with Democrat Josh Stein in the upcoming gubernatorial race. A Carolina Journal poll released Thursday shows Stein, the state’s attorney general, leading with 49.3% support among likely voters, while Robinson trails at 35.8%, marking a significant 13.5-point shift since May, when Robinson had a 5-point lead.
In another setback, a Morning Consult survey released this week revealed Robinson behind Stein by 22 points—54% to 32%. This decline in support for Robinson follows a CNN investigation that brought to light a series of controversial posts allegedly made by him on a pornographic website, where he reportedly referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” and expressed disturbing opinions.
ALLISON JOYCE/AFP; Grant Baldwin
In the wake of the scandal, Stein’s lead has only widened, with the majority of recent polls showing him ahead by double digits—except for one by The Telegraph/Redfield & Wilton Strategies, which had Robinson down by 7 points. Despite the pressure, Robinson continues to refute the allegations and has not stepped down from the race.
This controversy has further fueled Robinson’s legal actions, as he has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN, claiming the network disregarded evidence of past data breaches related to his alleged postings. He has also sued a punk band singer who claimed that Robinson purchased adult materials from a store where they worked years ago.
Though Robinson had strong backing from former President Donald Trump, who called him “Martin Luther King on steroids,” his absence from recent Trump campaign events in North Carolina raises questions about his campaign’s viability and potential repercussions for other Republicans in the state.