Mark Robinson could become the first Black person to be elected North Carolina governor.
But his quest to make state political history may not rely on the support of people who look like him. Robinson’s extreme rhetoric in public statements and social media posts have been widely condemned by other North Carolina political leaders and turned off Black voters.
Robinson, elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2020, suggested Martin Luther King Jr. was a communist, that the Civil Rights Movement compromised “free choice,” and he himself was “not African-American.”
Robinson also is known for controversial comments about women, LGBTQ+ people and Muslims. He’s been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and is perceived to have modeled his campaign aesthetic after him.
“His ignorance is beyond reproach – we cannot have him represent North Carolina in the governor’s office,” North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Kelly Alexander , a Democrat, said last May in reaction to what Democrats considered “attacks on the Civil Rights Movement” by Robinson.