Porn website scandal

N.C. Dem governor candidate hits Mark Robinson porn website scandal in new ad

“Folks, we’re better than this,” Democratic North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein says to the camera.

Madison Fernandez

Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s alleged past comments online may have already torpedoed his chances of winning the race for governor, but his Democratic opponent is still making sure voters don’t forget about the scandal in the final stretch of the campaign.

Last month, CNN reported that Robinson made a series of offensive comments on a porn site over a decade ago, including calling himself a “black NAZI!” and saying “slavery is not bad.” Robinson has denied that he made those posts, and has since sued the outlet.

A new advertisement from Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein opens with headlines regarding that CNN report and Robinson’s alleged comments, to which Stein says to the camera, “Folks, we’re better than this.”

“While we’ll never agree on everything, we need to be able to come together to solve problems,” Stein continues, outlining his policies regarding the economy and jobs.

Even before the CNN report, Robinson has long been a controversial figure for comments he has made about a range of demographics, including members of the LGBTQ community, Jewish people and women. Stein has highlighted Robinson’s comments in other advertisements, arguing Robinson is “unfit to be governor.”

North Carolina was initially seen as one of the most competitive gubernatorial races this year, as Republicans sought to flip the seat to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. But in recent weeks, polling has shown Stein with a double-digit lead over Robinson.