North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) has rejected a debate with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) in their gubernatorial race, citing the many controversial statements that the GOP nominee has made throughout his career.
Stein campaign spokeswoman Kate Frauenfelder said in a statement that engaging with Robinson for a debate would only give him a platform to spread “his vile and dangerous rhetoric.”
“Mark Robinson has spent his entire public life spewing hate, lying about his record, and spreading dangerous and false conspiracy theories. A debate would only serve to legitimize him and provide a platform for his vile and dangerous rhetoric, and we won’t be part of that,” Frauenfelder said.
Stein had previously indicated that he expected he would debate Robinson but stayed noncommittal, while Robinson had been pressing Stein for debates and already agreed to participate in one with Spectrum News. He challenged Stein to a debate directly in a post on X on Tuesday.
Robinson has rallied enthusiasm among those on the right as a fierce defender of gun rights and close ally to Donald Trump, but his career has also been marked by controversy surrounding a wide range of comments he has made concerning different groups.