Democrat Josh Stein, North Carolina’s attorney general, has won the state’s governor’s race, defeating Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, as projected by the Associated Press. Stein’s campaign centered on promoting education and abortion rights but also underscored his belief that Robinson, widely criticized for a history of inflammatory statements, was unfit to govern a diverse and fast-growing state.
Throughout his campaign, Stein presented himself as a moderate Democrat committed to protecting core rights and supporting schools. His campaign ads spotlighted several of Robinson’s controversial remarks, including a 2019 Facebook video where Robinson criticized women who sought abortions, saying they “had not been responsible enough to keep [their] skirt down.”
Robinson, who is Black, has drawn backlash for past statements on social media, including offensive comments about Michelle Obama and a troubling quote from Hitler. He also dismissed Black History Month, claiming it celebrated “people who have achieved so little.” His campaign faced a serious setback in September when CNN linked Robinson to disturbing comments left on a pornography website between 2008 and 2012, in which he allegedly described himself as a “Black NAZI,” downplayed the harms of slavery, and described spying on women in gym showers as a teenager.
Robinson denied responsibility for the posts and filed a defamation suit against CNN, though he provided no evidence to counter the allegations. In the wake of the scandal, prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, distanced themselves from Robinson, resulting in resignations within his campaign and his office.
Stein, 58, a Chapel Hill native, will become North Carolina’s first Jewish governor when sworn in, marking a new chapter for the state under his leadership.