The Rise and Struggles of Mark Robinson in North Carolina Politics

In late 2007, a pivotal moment occurred in the life of Mark Robinson, who is now the Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina. He decided to create a Facebook account, a move that would significantly alter his trajectory. At the time, Mr. Robinson was 39 years old and operating a home daycare alongside his wife. Initially, he joined the platform to share his thoughts on pro wrestling. However, as time went on, his posts took a more political turn, reflecting his identity as a Black hard-right conservative.

Robinson discovered that he had a knack for drawing attention as an online provocateur. In his memoir, published in 2022, he stated, “I wanted people to come at me. I wanted to be as in their faces as possible. I wanted people to read my page and go ‘What did he say? Did he really say that?’ And that’s what happened.” This talent for inciting reactions, combined with a strong Christian-centered social conservatism and a natural flair for public speaking, propelled him from relative anonymity to the upper echelons of North Carolina’s political landscape, where he currently holds the position of lieutenant governor.

However, as Mr. Robinson’s campaign for governor progressed, it faced significant challenges. A report from CNN linked him to sexually explicit and offensive comments that had been posted anonymously on a pornography website between 2008 and 2012 — a period that coincided with the early days of his online presence. In response to the report, he has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN but has yet to provide substantive evidence to back his claim that the report was “recklessly false.”

Even before the CNN report surfaced, Mr. Robinson’s standing in the polls had begun to slip. His Democratic opponent, Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, took advantage of this momentum by spotlighting the extreme statements Robinson has made over the years. These included controversial remarks suggesting that women who opted for abortions had failed to be “responsible enough to keep your skirt down.” Additionally, Robinson has faced backlash for comments that many perceive as racist, antisemitic, and transphobic.