(The Hill) – North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) becomes the state’s next governor, defeating controversial Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (R), Decision Desk HQ Projects.
Stein’s victory comes as no surprise. While polls showed the race would continue to be close through July, Stein began to pull away and increased his lead in the race Poll average from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ to 15 points.
Robinson, North Carolina’s first black lieutenant governor, gained notoriety as a conservative firebrand known for creating a broad spectrum of voting options flammable Comments on various groups, including Jews, Muslims, gays and transgender people, and black people, who support Democrats.
He called Muslims “invaders” and described homosexuality as “filth,” abortion as “genocide,” and feminism as “watered by the devil.”
Robinson was already behind in the race, but his campaign was rocked by an explosive CNN report In mid-September, he posted detailed comments he said he made more than a decade ago on the message board of a pornography website. He spoke out on a range of topics, including race, gender and abortion, CNN reported.
According to CNN, Robinson described himself as a “black Nazi,” wanted slavery to be reinstated and called Martin Luther King Jr. a “communist bastard.”
Robinson disputed the report, but his poll numbers fell and Republicans in the state and across the country distanced themselves from him.
Most election analysts rated the race as likely Democratic based on the impact of the report.
Meanwhile, Stein ran a sustained campaign without major failures, focusing on issues such as affordability, improving public education, and protecting abortion rights.
Stein is expected to become North Carolina’s first Jewish governor, succeeding term-limited incumbent Gov. Roy Cooper (D).
