Several staffers have walked away from controversial Republican Mark Robinson’s North Carolina campaign. Four people quit on September 22 after explosive reports claimed that Mr. Robinson had written graphic sexual and racist posts on an adult website. Robinson has refused to stand down over the scandal and insists he will be on the Republican ballot in the Tar Heel State’s gubernatorial election in November.
The staffers the candidate lost on September 22 include his general consultant and senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier, and deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk. The Robinson campaign subsequently issued a press release stating that the staffers would soon be replaced, but critics say he faces significant challenges by losing senior supporters this close to the election.
In response to the resignations, Mr. Robinson said his staffers had made a “difficult choice” to step down and he wished them well for the future. He added that he would continue to focus on the “substantive issues at stake in this election.”
The scandal has generated a storm among Republicans in the must-win battleground state of North Carolina. Analysts say it could create significant difficulties for Donald Trump, given his warm endorsements of Robinson in the past. Trump has referred to Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
In online posts located by CNN, the Republican Lieutenant Governor describes himself as a “black Nazi” and boasts about cheating on his wife with her sister in extremely graphic terms that most media outlets have opted not to publish.
Even before the latest scandal broke, Robinson was a divisive and controversial character, partly because of his views on gay people, whom he has described as “filth.” Questioned about the candidate and how he might impact Republican prospects in the Tar Heel State, Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, said the allegations against Robinson weren’t “necessarily reality,” but it was ultimately up to the people of North Carolina to determine who they want to be their governor.
Democrats are reportedly buoyed by the scandal and encouraged by the fact that Donald Trump only won the state by 1.4% in 2020. Many Harris backers believe conservative Republicans and Christians will be horrified to learn what Mr. Robinson allegedly wrote online.
