North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson speaks on stage during the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024.
Andrew Harnick | Getty Images
Four key staff members have resigned from North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson’s campaign, the campaign announced Sunday, as Republicans are also calling for the candidate to resign.
The campaign’s comments did not link the staffers’ resignations to CNN’s bombshell report that a Republican named Robinson had made anti-Semitic and racist comments on a porn website years ago, or give a reason for the staffers’ departures.
The campaign said the resignations included campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, chief financial officer Heather Willier, deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk, and executive consultant and senior adviser Konrad Pogorzelski III.
“I want to thank these team members for their hard work as they make the difficult decision to step away from the campaign, and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days,” Robinson said in a statement.
He added, “I am confident that our campaign has made our position clear to voters and that we are in a strong position to win on November 5th.”
Robinson denied the claims in a CNN report and vowed to remain in the race. Some Republicans have expressed concern about the claims, but the North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement shortly after the article was published, saying Robinson “categorically denies the allegations.”
Democrats are attempting to link Robinson to former President Donald Trump, releasing a new ad highlighting Trump’s praise for Robinson, the North Carolina lieutenant governor. Trump has said he endorsed Robinson in the gubernatorial primary and has no plans to back down.
Democrats see North Carolina as a potential swing state in the presidential election. They have poured resources into the state after Trump narrowly won it in 2020. Polls show the race is still tight. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, said it would be “very difficult” for his ticket to win the election without North Carolina.
