Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina secured the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, continuing his rapid political rise in a key battleground state.
Mr. Robinson, 55, is now poised to face his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein of North Carolina, in the general election in November. Both men would break ground if elected: Mr. Robinson would be the first Black governor, while Mr. Stein, 57, would be the first Jewish governor.
Mr. Robinson has built a reputation as a political firebrand, and forged a path to the executive mansion in Raleigh partly through incendiary comments on social issues, which have mobilized his Trump-aligned base and repulsed Democrats.
Here are five things to know about Mr. Robinson.
His political career was fueled by online support.
On April 3, 2018, the City Council in Greensboro, N.C., was considering canceling a gun show after facing public outcry following the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed at a high school.
Mr. Robinson, who grew up Greensboro, about 75 miles northwest of Raleigh, was indignant about the cancellation. He delivered a speech at the council meeting that night, and videos of it spread widely in conservative circles, gaining millions of views.
“We want our rights, and we want to keep our rights,” Mr. Robinson said at the meeting. “And by God, we’re going to keep them, come hell or high water.”
