Even before Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, took the stage at the state’s convention on Saturday, several state candidates took the time to excite the crowd in their speeches by supporting Robinson’s candidacy for governor.
When the state’s lieutenant governor took the stage after more than an hour and a half at the NCGOP convention’s Old North State Dinner in Greensboro, Robinson began his fiery speech by denouncing the media for focusing too much on the ongoing criminal and civil cases against Donald Trump rather than on the “failures of the Democratic Party.” He also shared his vision for the state, which he said is based on improving the economy and education.
“Believe me, there are enough talented people in this state that share our vision and we can make it happen, folks,” Robinson said during his speech, which was streamed live by Triad television station WGHP.
The 55-year-old Republican is locked in one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial races of the 2024 election, facing off against Democratic opponent and Attorney General Josh Stein. Robinson’s brash political style has captivated Trump supporters as well as the former president himself, who officially endorsed Robinson at a rally in Greensboro in March, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Robinson has also drawn attention from critics who say his rhetoric on the LGBTQ community and restricting abortion access should be cause for concern. The Greensboro native has previously defended his past comments, saying he can separate his religious views from public office and wants to make North Carolina a “destination state for life.”
In his speech, Robinson described himself as “part of the winning team.” He attributed the state’s economic success to Republican policies and emphasized the role of the governor’s office – under his leadership – in preserving that success.
“North Carolina is literally on the verge of an economic explosion,” Robinson said. “It’s time for us to harness that explosion and make this state better than it already is.”
Another concern for Robinson is education in North Carolina. He said the state’s education system is “in shambles.” But the state of the education system is not the teachers’ fault, Robinson said, adding that he puts teachers in the same category as police officers.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was also one of the keynote speakers at Saturday’s dinner. He began his speech by calling Robinson the state’s next governor. He also echoed the sentiments of Republican National Committee co-chairs Lara Trump and her husband Eric Trump, who both spoke at the convention on Friday, that North Carolina will be an crucial state in 2024 that “could determine the real direction of our entire country.”
