Mark Robinson skirts around abortion stance

North Carolina's Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, says it is time to "move on" from abortion to other pressing issues, such as the economy.

Why it matters: Abortion is top of mind for many voters on both sides of the aisle nationwide. With Roe v. Wade overturned, the governor's signature could be consequential in further limiting North Carolina's current 12-week abortion — or banning the procedure outright .

Catch up quick: Robinson said in a campaign ad he stands by the current 12-week ban, with exceptions. But in a recent interview, he told WSOC he would sign a six-week abortion bill.

" Why do I need to clarify that in the ad? " said Robinson, when Axios asked about the conflicting messages during an appearance at a business luncheon Tuesday afternoon. "The people spoke."

• He added, "I don't get to decide this by myself. My opinion goes on the table with 120 House members, 50 senators, and what comes off is something called consensus ... It is time for us to move on, folks ... My opinion on that right now matters very little because I don't get to make that decision. You do. Your representatives do through you, and what they decide we will sign."
• He said his opinion counted when he was a "social media influencer," but it wouldn't as an elected official.
• Robinson then suggested that moving to six weeks wouldn't drive business away. Florida's economy, he said, "is firing on all cylinders."
• "I hate to get political with this, but oftentimes, they want to bring it up because they want to move away from the things that I just talked about," he added.

The big picture: The Democratic party has amplified abortion as one of its top talking points, especially in North Carolina, which used to be a refuge to seek care. Abortion is almost always the main subject of their press conferences, including one the Harris for President campaign held the day Trump rallied in Charlotte.

• When Harris held her own rally here on Sept. 12, she stressed that Robinson "wants" a total ban, and the crowd roared in boos.

Zoom out: Before taking questions from the audience Tuesday, Robinson described his campaign as focused on the economy and its five pillars: public safety, health care, infrastructure, housing and especially public education.

• "Right here in North Carolina, we have a fantastic opportunity to build a fantastic economy if we concentrate on that," Robinson said. "They want to keep revisiting this (abortion) issue."