Democrat doubles Robinson’s second-quarter fundraising in North Carolina governor’s race

Democratic candidate Josh Stein raked in double the amount that Republican candidate Mark Robinson hauled in for second-quarter fundraising in the North Carolina gubernatorial race.

Stein, the state attorney general, reported hauling in $13.8 million in the second quarter of fundraising for this year, while Robinson, the state lieutenant governor, raised $5.1 million, according to state campaign filings. 

Stein’s campaign spent close to the amount of money he brought in for the quarter, $10.6 million, and ended the quarter with $15.9 million in the bank. Meanwhile, Robinson’s campaign spent $3 million and ended the quarter with $6.6 million. 

Stein and Robinson are vying for North Carolina’s gubernatorial seat as Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is term-limited. 

Democrats have looked to highlight a multitude of past controversial remarks that Robinson has said, which have become a liability for the candidate.

He referred to former first lady Michelle Obama in a 2017 Facebook post as “an anti-American, abortion and gay marriage supporting, liberal leftist elitist” and referred to her as a man. 

In a separate Facebook post in 2018, he appeared to defend Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, writing, “This foolishness about Hitler disarming MILLIONS of Jews and then marching them off to concentration camps is a bunch of hogwash.”

Robinson has since sought to walk some of those comments back.

“There have been some Facebook posts that were poorly worded on my part,” the North Carolina lieutenant governor said in October, according to WRAL. “There is no antisemitism standing here in front of you.”

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the North Carolina governor’s race a “toss-up.”