As North Carolina voters checked the boxes of their preferred candidates on election day, there was one Republican whose box was left open: former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
Until late July, Robinson had been quite competitive with the now-Gov. Josh Stein in state polling, worrying N.C. Democrats who were still looking to support President Joe Biden at the time. In less than two months, they had a new presidential candidate and Robinson’s numbers dropped. Although Donald Trump and several Republicans in the state won their elections, the destruction of Robinson’s political aspirations represented a win of its own.
As someone whose entire adult life has been consumed by the Trump era in politics, it was difficult to imagine voters in my purple home state wanting to elect someone who embodied extreme elements of conservatism, like banning abortion after six weeks and revoking LGBTQ+ rights.
Even after Robinson’s loss, I find myself looking for explanations for how Republicans rejected him just seconds after voting for Trump — someone with a long record of scandals and unethical behavior. But eventually, I realized something: the rejection of Robinson by N.C. Republicans indicated a willingness to uphold moral standards, even if applied arbitrarily.
Gov. Stein realized the unpopularity of his opponent, making his campaign more about Robinson’s flaws rather than his own goals. But as most of us know, Trump is a different breed of challenge than the former Lt. Gov.
Robinson — at one time Trump’s top ally in the state — didn’t possess the authenticity or style that Trump did. He didn’t have millions of supporters who would do anything for him, from parroting talking points on social media to violently storming the Capitol. No, Robinson was under the shadow of Trump. And those in Trump’s shadow must be certain they remain in it.
Once the CNN story about Robinson’s graphic hobbies in the past surfaced, not only did Trump claim he wasn’t aware of the race, but party leaders from within the state began to turn on him as well since they realized his actions could be detrimental to all of their campaigns.
Democrats should take note: it is not necessary to run on specific policies when your opponent’s ideas are extremely unpopular. Trump did this himself on the national level, avoiding topics like abortion while repeatedly referencing illegal immigration and inflation — things voters disliked the most about the Biden-Harris Administration.
Robinson’s tumultuous campaign should leave North Carolinians hopeful; not because someone like Robinson was so close to heading the state executive, but because he wasn’t really close at all.
