GREENSBORO, N.C. — Many questions have emerged in the days since a CNN report linked Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R-NC) to graphic comments on an adult film website more than a decade ago. The report accused Robinson of saying things like ‘I’m a Black Nazi’ and expressing support for slavery.
When the report came out on Sept. 19, rumors swirled that Robinson faced pressure from people within his party to drop out of the race. Even though the deadline to do so has since passed, some people have claimed he could drop out.
THE QUESTION
Can Lt. Gov. Robinson drop out of the race for the North Carolina governor?
THE SOURCES
- The North Carolina State Board of Elections
- North Carolina law
THE ANSWER
No, Lt. Gov. Robinson cannot drop out of the race at this point.
WHAT WE FOUND
State law says that a party’s nominee cannot drop out of a race after absentee ballots start going out. In North Carolina, mail-in ballots for military and overseas voters went out on Sept. 20.
A spokesperson for the State Board of Elections said even if Robinson dropped out, it wouldn’t change anything on the ballot…