The upcoming gubernatorial showdown in North Carolina is anticipated to be a fiercely competitive race, featuring Democratic candidate Josh Stein, the state Attorney General known for his moderate stance, facing off against Republican nominee Mark Robinson, the right-wing firebrand currently serving as lieutenant governor.
This contest is crucial as both parties vie to replace the term-limited Governor Roy Cooper, with Democrats aiming to defend one of their few remaining strongholds in Southern politics. The race also takes on added significance in the context of the closely contested presidential ballot.
While North Carolina went for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, Joe Biden narrowly missed an upset, trailing by just over one percentage point.
Although Biden’s popularity may have waned, Republicans could face backlash in the upcoming election, particularly due to their party-line vote to override Cooper’s veto of a 12-week abortion ban, passed last year by a GOP legislative supermajority.
Despite Republicans controlling the state legislature, the governor’s office has eluded them since Cooper’s election in 2016. Mark Robinson, a figure exciting for the MAGA base, shares some political characteristics with Trump, advocating strongly for gun rights and abortion bans.
However, Robinson has also drawn attention for his involvement in controversial rhetoric, including antisemitic, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ statements.
As the race unfolds, it will be interesting to see how voters respond to the contrasting visions presented by Stein and Robinson, and how these dynamics could impact not only the gubernatorial outcome but also the broader political landscape in North Carolina.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference last month, Robinson declared, “Whenever they mention my name, they always mention my name in conjunction with social issues and how I hate everybody, According to them, I hate everybody. I hate people who walk and talk and walk upright. I hate people who drive cars. I don’t hate anybody.”
Democrats from all across the political spectrum demanded his resignation after he termed “transgenderism” and “homosexuality” “filth” in comments from June 2021 that became public months later. Rather, Robinson went much farther.
In remarks on social media, Robinson minimized the horrors committed by Nazi Germany and maintained that socialism was and always ought to have been a bigger worry than European fascism.
Stein has a long history in state politics. His father, Adam, is a well-known civil rights lawyer who co-founded the first integrated legal practice in North Carolina with James Ferguson and Julius Chambers.
The pivotal moment in the contest will undoubtedly be the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, which allowed North Carolina Republicans to pass their abortion restriction.
While Stein cautions that the GOP might go crazy in the absence of even a slight check on power in the governor’s house, Robinson has voiced support for even more stringent regulations.
Days before the election, Robinson received official Trump support, although their political views are very similar. Trump endorsed the Black lieutenant governor’s candidacy over the weekend, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids” and a “great, natural speaker.” (Robinson prevailed over two additional Republican contenders.)
For the most part, Biden and national Democrats have avoided North Carolina thus far, partly because to Biden’s erratic popularity in the state. However, it is anticipated that the presidential and gubernatorial campaigns would be close races.
