A recent poll shows Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein remains in the lead against Republican opponent Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson.
Stein leads the polls by six points with 47 percent of voters, Robinson trailing behind with 41 percent. 11 percent of voters are undecided.
Josh Stein comes from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and attended Harvard University for law and public policy. He previously held positions as an attorney, deputy attorney general, and senator. In 2017, he became the NC attorney general, and earlier this year, Stein won the Democratic primary with 69.6 percent of votes.
Republican candidate Mark Robinson is from Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning his career in furniture manufacturing. In 2018, he gave a speech at a Greensboro City Council meeting advocating for the Second Amendment right to bear arms. A video of the speech went viral on social media, leading Robinson to run for NC lieutenant governor.
In 2020, Robinson became the first Black lieutenant governor of North Carolina, winning the Republican primary election for governor by 64.8 percent.
Despite the steady change in numbers regarding the polls, Robinson struggles to sustain a strong base of voters due to his many controversial statements. A Facebook video posted online on June 30, 2024, shows him passionately stating, “Some folks need killin’” while speaking at Lake Church in Bladen County. He later referred to it as a “matter of necessity” and said “we need to start handling our business again.”
Donald Trump endorsed Robinson for governor and referred to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.” Martin Luther King III strongly disagreed saying, “My father would not support Mark Robinson, and Mark Robinson is nothing like my father.” In stark contrast to Martin Luther King Jr., Robinson has been known to insult the Civil Rights Movement.
Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized him for his remarks about the LGBTQ community, guns and abortion.
Stein is currently the most popular candidate among independents, with 50 percent preferring him over Robinson. Women and Black American voters also prefer him over Robinson. As reported in the polls, 81 percent of Black Americans and 50 percent of women favor Stein.
Unlike his opponent, Stein supports women’s right to abortion and reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic endorsed Stein back in Jan. 2024.
In 2023, Stein released a statement concerning North Carolina’s abortion law, saying, “Women, not politicians, should be making these decisions.”
Contrarily, Robinson supports an abortion ban. He has previously made comments calling abortion “murder” and “genocide.”
If elected, Robinson would be the first Black governor of North Carolina. Stein, if elected, would become the first Jewish governor.
Robinson’s platform focuses on improving the economy, education system, veteran’s care and increasing public safety in the state. Stein’s platform consists of improving the economy and workforce, education, housing affordability, healthcare and women’s rights.
North Carolina is one of only 11 states that will hold gubernatorial elections this year and has been named a battleground state for 2024. North Carolina’s status as a battleground state also holds weight in the 2024 presidential race. This year’s gubernatorial race can influence the turnout of voters in the election of Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump. However, predicting the outcome is challenging because of North Carolina’s history of splitting the ticket.
The North Carolina general election for governor will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Mark Robinson will face Josh Stein in an attempt to replace current Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Cooper is finishing up his second term as governor after serving as North Carolina attorney general.
The election ballot will also include Mike Ross (Libertarian), Wayne Turner (Green) and Vinny Smith (Constitution). The combined votes for these candidates currently sit at 2 percent.
The general consensus is that Robinson is the more extreme candidate, which may displease some voters. Stein is a less extreme option for those who prefer a more moderate candidate. Previously, seven out of the past eight governors that voters elected were democrats, but this election still has the potential to swing either way. Ultimately, the state’s future rests in the people’s hands.
