North Carolina Republicans Fret Over Their Gubernatorial Frontrunner

Few in the state GOP want to incite a costly primary battle against Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

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North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks in 2022 in Raleigh. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

North Carolina Republicans continue to feel uneasy about their party’s current gubernatorial frontrunner, firebrand Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. But no coherent strategy yet exists to knock him out in a primary.

Those with concerns about Robinson fear his controversial views, as well as his checkered personal and campaign finance history, will alienate suburban and independent voters in 2024 as Republicans try to flip the the gubernatorial seat of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. 

And many Republicans know Democrats have amassed an opposition research file that could be leaked at any time. Even Robinson seems worried about more potentially damaging revelations.

“I know there’s probably a lot of stuff out there swirling around … People are trying to put doubt in the air about our campaign, about me, but none of that stuff is true, I guarantee you,” Robinson said in a voicemail he left for a prospective Republican donor on Thursday, obtained by The Dispatch. “We’re ready to take this challenge on. And I believe that we are the candidate.” 

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  1. Norcal

    "And I believe that we are the candidate." We? Who is this, the Borg? What's next, "resistance is futile"?

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  2. Mark Rutzick

    I

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    PSM

    I want to thank Audrey and the Dispatch for continuing to expand coverage of state politics; it is much appreciated.

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    Hjpace

    There is a model for what a successful Republican gubernatorial candidate looks like in NC, and it is Pat McCrory, Jim Martin, and James Holshouser. There is also a model for what an unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate looks like, and it looks like Robinson (only whiter and less crazy).

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    Hjpace

    Anybody who claims a US Senate race is a good source of comparison with a gubernatorial race (especially in NC), is either extraordinarily ignorant or blatantly lying.

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  6. Jack H Wolf

    Thanks for the article, as I was unaware of this happening in my own state.
    Roy Cooper, the Dem Governor has been a superstar on the Dem side, winning two elections in presidential years by comfortable margins when the state went for Trump twice. He has done this by having a very easy going non activist nature and moderate politics. Perhaps, Josh Stein being part of that administration will benefit from the association.
    NC is the most gerrymandered state in the country, home of the former oddest I-85 congressional district that was thrown out by the courts and basically followed the interstate for hundreds of miles to pick up and pack all the black communities into one district. Creative map making like that make it possible for a state that might have a 2-3% R lean and has elected a Dem Governor to have super majorities in the legislature.
    The NC Supreme Court was a counter weight to this but the formerly majority Democrat Court is now majority Republican so I expect that gerrymandering will now go unchecked.

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    Peter Markevich

    As a brand new NC resident and voter, I just want to thank Audrey and the team for running this insightful article.

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  8. J. Everett Schubert

    I'm not a resident, but I always thought of North Carolina (at least since 2000) as being a light red state, but not one where the Republicans can nominate a certifiable kook and still take victory for granted. In any given race, the GOP is probably a slight favorite, but Democrats certainly can, and do, win statewide.

    Y'all have Charlotte, the Research Triangle with its abundance of educated voters, and though it's small, the bright blue dot of Asheville. There's a significant minority population. Are the rural areas really just that blood red?

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      Rajeev

      It’s similar to Georgia but with more bright red rural areas to counter the big city and suburban vote. Robinson is probably more like Kari Lake then Doug Mastriano against a solid candidate like Josh Stein. Likely to be a close race especially in a Presidential election year.

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      CynthiaW

      I think rural areas in some parts of the state are strongly pro-Trump, but they're simply not sufficiently populous to carry a statewide election.

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  9. Bobby D

    I lived in North Carolina for a few years. The advantage that Robinson may have is that neither Folwell nor Walker is much better. Not one of these candidates holds appeal for suburban college-educated voters who are looking for someone who’s fiscally conservative and socially moderate.

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    1. Kittyecws

      I don’t think Robinson would appeal to the suburban college-educated voter in NC. I’m one of those.

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      1. Bobby D

        I agree entirely. But Folwell and Walker are almost as bad. They’re all fairly illiberal in their political outlook. I was still a registered Republican when I lived in NC. But I don’t think I ever voted for a Republican during that time except in some local judicial races.

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        1. Kittyecws

          My Republican Virginia relatives lived in Raleigh before the Republicans got so crazy. They think NC Republicans are way off the rails. It wasn’t so bad when the legislature was more equally divided between parties. Now they have a veto proof majority so they don’t even try to do anything bipartisan.

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    CynthiaW

    ** “My gut reaction is that the hesitancy about Robinson is significantly overblown,” said North Carolina GOP consultant Jonathan Felts, who advised first-term GOP Sen. Ted Budd last cycle. “It’s a small number of armchair quarterbacks who aren’t on the team. And they are desperately irrelevant. And they’re the ones talking about the electability issue more than anything else.” **

    When you ask yourself, "How does a country with over 330 million adults, most of them not crazy, end up with nothing on the ballot but kookydoodles, gerbils, and octogenarians?" one answer is, "Because of people like Jonathan Felts."

    It's the "race to the bottom." The fact that Democratic Party anti-Semites get a pass and a pat on the head does not mean the Republican Party should start running anti-Semites. For one thing, they're not going to be patted on the head by the media.

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      J. Eric

      Kookydoodle is going to be my new go to phrase. Thank you

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        CynthiaW

        You're welcome.

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    2. Kittyecws

      I don’t think the NC population as a whole is really anti-Semitic. At least it didn’t use to be. I am continually shocked at Robinson’s rhetoric because it isn’t the usual kind of political rhetoric here. I’m not thrilled by Folwell, but I know him personally. I don’t agree with him on much but he is a decent guy, unlike Robinson. As for the Budd/McCrory race, McCrory was a weak candidate. I voted for him because he wasn’t far-right. When he was mayor of Charlotte he was basically a Chamber of Commerce Republican and highly respected. Today’s Republicans don’t like highly respected old-school Republicans.

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        CynthiaW

        I don't think so, either. That's one thing that's surprising about the drive for Robinson: I don't see a market for it with the voters.

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      Peter.Schwartz

      I suggest another answer to your question is that sane people have better things to do than subject themselves to the circuses and freak shows that modern day campaigns have devolved into.

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        Pgrossjr47

        Yep. I still follow politics; it has been an interest since I helped my dad nail JFK posters to telephone poles. But each party has allowed their fringes to become the voice and image of their respective parties. The sane people dropping out only serves to leave the parties in the hands of the loons. But don't ask me for a solution, I don't have one. I live in a very rural part of the country and the local GOP quit sending me emails advising where the next meeting would be, after I came out against Trump.

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        1. J. Everett Schubert

          We are kindred spirits, my friend. I'm a center-right, NeverTrump, "leans Republican", in a blood red rural county, and I'm persona non grata with the local GOP for that reason. Sigh...

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        CynthiaW

        Yes, that is another good answer.

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