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Von Carrington Lee
Martin Luther King III and Black Leaders Challenge Mark Robinson’s Candidacy
2024-06-25
"We believed North Carolinians needed to understand that Mark Robinson has used his position as Lt. Gov. to attack women, LGBTQ+ individuals, the Black community, the Jewish community, educators, and the Muslim community," Progress North Carolina Action executive director Jessica Jollet told The Charlotte Observer.
Why Mark Robinson is Targeted
Robinson, competing against Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein in the Nov. 5 general election, has garnered national attention for his inflammatory rhetoric against LGBTQ+ individuals, diversity, equity and inclusion programs, abortion, and school teachers. Mitch Summerfield, the pastor at Word of God Fellowship Church in Raleigh, appeared in one of the ads, stating, "Mark Robinson does not speak for me," and countering Robinson's disparaging remarks about Black women.
"He and I have never had a conversation, so how do you know what I think, or believe, or feel? How can you claim to speak for all Black religious leaders?" Summerfield told the Observer. "We must be smart and vigilant like never before because the wrong decision could jeopardize the next generation," he said.
Why Black Voters Were the Audience in MarkRobinson'sAds
Jollet explained that Progress North Carolina Action selected individuals for the ads who "reflect the diverse makeup of North Carolina." However, the ads were not created to sway Black voters but rather to enable voters to make informed decisions about candidates. "I trust and believe in the general public that they can make that decision for themselves," said Jollet.
Black voters were primarily the focus of the ads due to Robinson's past vocal attacks against Black interests, Jollet noted. She acknowledged that some conservative Black voters might sympathize with Robinson but affirmed that the ads aim to inform the public of Robinson's views. "We simply wanted to ensure that people were aware of the array of things he has said about the Black community, then they can do their own research about the things he has said."
Mark Robinson's Support Among Black NC Voters
A Meredith Poll released in February indicated that only 3% of likely Black voters would choose Robinson over Stein in the general election. A Carolina Journal poll found that just 14% of Black voters said they would definitely or probably vote for Robinson in November. A March WRAL News poll showed that only 13% of Black voters had a very or somewhat favorable view of Robinson, and 45% said Robinson's statements about women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and the Jewish community made them less likely to vote for him.
Human rights activist Martin Luther King III has criticized Mark Robinson in new ads, accusing him of rejecting the Civil Rights movement that his father and others led. The ads released by Progress NC Action feature King discussing Robinson's comments about the movement and his father, Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson, currently serving as North Carolina's lieutenant governor, is the Republican nominee for governor running against state Attorney General Josh Stein.
In one advertisement, King dismisses any comparison between his father and Robinson, stating that the "blatant bigotry" promoted by Robinson and former President Trump stands in stark contrast to his father's vision of a "beloved community, a world built on peace and justice." King further emphasized, "Let me be clear. My father would be gravely disappointed in Mark Robinson." In another ad, King accuses Robinson of "repeatedly mocking" his father and being more troubled by Robinson's "outright rejection of a Civil Rights movement my father and so many others lived and died for." King highlighted Robinson's remarks, calling the lunch counter protest in Greensboro, N.C., a "ridiculous premise" and arguing that freedoms were actually lost during the Civil Rights movement.
Robinson's Controversial Comments and Campaign Response
Robinson has made numerous controversial statements throughout his career, including derogatory remarks about Jewish, Muslim, and transgender people, as well as Black Americans who vote for Democrats. His communications director, Mike Lonergan, described the organization that released the ads as "another far-left partisan group pushing extremist priorities." Lonergan asserted that Progress North Carolina Action and similar groups are "out of step with North Carolinians and desperate to cover up the racist smears from Joe Biden, Josh Stein, and the Democrats."
The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the North Carolina governor's race as a "toss-up." Josh Stein, a Democrat running against Mark Robinson, plans to launch his first two television ads on Tuesday, one of which criticizes Robinson's views on abortion. One 30-second ad features Robinson, an outspoken critic of abortion rights, condemning the procedure in a 2019 Facebook Live stream.
"Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers," Robinson says in the ad. "It is about killing the child because you weren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down." The ad, part of a seven-figure buy by Stein's campaign, also shows Robinson suggesting he would sign legislation banning abortion "for any reason" if he had a "willing" state legislature.
Robinson's campaign argued the ad took his comments out of context. In the 2023 interview featured in the ad, Robinson said banning all abortions would not prevent them from happening and that he'd want to pass a "heartbeat" bill, banning abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. The spot also features Robinson saying: "For me there is no compromise on abortion. It makes no difference to me why or how that child ended up in that womb."
Stein, an outspoken supporter of abortion rights, has vowed to defend access to the procedure and women's reproductive freedoms. "This November, North Carolinians will have a stark choice between a safer, stronger North Carolina with Josh Stein or Mark Robinson's focus on stripping women of their reproductive freedoms and a vision for a division that will kill jobs," Jeff Allen, Stein's campaign manager, said in a statement. "Over the next five months, we are prepared to make sure every North Carolinian knows the stakes of this race — and we're just getting started."
When asked for comment about Stein's attacks on Robinson's abortion stances, Mike Lonergan said Robinson is "pro-life" due to the "painful and difficult" experience he and his wife had when they decided to get an abortion in 1989. Robinson has since said the decision to have an abortion was "wrong." Lonergan added that Robinson would sign a heartbeat bill with exceptions for rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is in danger. He also criticized President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party for their stances on abortion, stating, "Biden, Stein, and the Democrats are recycling the same old playbook they used in 2022. It failed then and it will fail now. North Carolina voters don't support the Biden-Stein agenda of taxpayer-funded, late-term abortion-on-demand. That's extreme and out of step with our state's values."
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