By The Republican pick for governor of North Carolina may end up costing Donald Trump the presidency and now, according to reports, the party is moving to have Mark Robinson drop out of the race.
The Carolina Journal writes that concern is growing that the Republican candidate for governor may cost the GOP much more than the top spot in the Tar Heel State.
Sources with direct knowledge have spoken with Carolina Journal on the condition of anonymity and said that Robinson is under pressure from staff and members of the Trump campaign to withdraw from the governor’s race due to the nature of the story, which they say involves activity on adult websites in 2000s.
According to sources, Robinson has resisted withdrawing and privately denies the story.
Thursday evening is the state deadline to withdraw from the race. The deadline to remove Robinson’s name from the ballot already has passed. There are just four weeks to go until early voting, and absentee ballots are due to go in the mail Friday.
According to the sources, the campaign of Attorney General Josh Stein, Robinson’s opponent in the race for North Carolina’s Executive Mansion, leaked the story to CNN and local Raleigh news outlet, WRAL. It is expected to hit airwaves later on Thursday.
Also according to the anonymous source, earlier this week leaders in the Trump campaign privately told Robinson that he was not welcome at rallies for Trump or vice presidential candidate JD Vance. He was slated to speak at the Vance appearance on Wednesday, but his office announced that Robinson had tested positive for COVID.
Trump’s dismissal of Robinson should be a deathblow to his candidacy. Robinson’s career has revolved around being a stanch ally to the former president, but now his past has come back to haunt him.
The Hill noted recently that “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.
He has described homosexuality and “transgenderism” as “filth,” called Muslims “invaders” and made derogatory comments about Jews and Black voters who support Democrats. He has also referred to abortion as “murder” and “genocide,” though he has seemingly softened his stance on the issue during the campaign.”
The polling has been a disaster for Robinson, according to local outlets last week.
“Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein holds a commanding lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in North Carolina’s gubernatorial race less than two months before the November, according to a new WRAL News Poll that shows Stein making gains with women, conservatives and rural voters.
Overall, 51% of likely November voters support Stein and 37% support Robinson, with 11% undecided, according to the WRAL News Poll of 676 likely voters, which was released Tuesday. The gap has widened significantly since March, when the previous WRAL News Poll showed Stein with a 44%-to-42% lead over Robinson.
Polls have consistently shown Stein leading the race, with his lead varying between 4 and 14 percentage points. Prior to the WRAL News Poll, a survey by High Point University also showed Stein with a 14-point lead.”
Donald Trump has found himself in a closer-than-expected race in North Carolina, a state the former president has won twice.
A new poll showed a shift among North Carolina voters, with Vice President Kamala Harris now leading former President Donald Trump by one point. In August, Trump was ahead with 49% of support to Harris’s 48%. However, in September, Harris took the lead, with 49% of respondents favoring her and 48% supporting Trump. The undecided or third-party voters remain at 3% in both polls.
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