Do Republicans in North Carolina have time to select a new gubernatorial candidate?

North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, who is seeking to take over the governor’s mansion in November, Mark Robinson, is sitting in the middle of a political firestorm after a new CNN investigation accuses him of posting in online forms about his pornographic preferences and admitting to peeping in women’s locker rooms. Besides sexually explicit comments, he has also been tied to posts admitting that he would like to be a slave owner. Robinson has denied making these comments.

The allegations come just a few short weeks before the election and a day before the state plans to begin distributing mail-in ballots, giving the North Carolina Republican party very little time to undertake any damage control operations. Recent polls have shown that Robinson’s Democratic challenger, Josh Stein, currently serving as the state’s Attorney General, is in the lead. However, Stein’s lead had shrunk recently as voters began to tune into the election coverage. While Robinson may have had a chance to close the gap, many political analysts believe that this scandal will cost them the governorship.

Who is Mark Robinson?

Robinson was elected lieutenant governor in 2020 and endorsed by President Donald Trump in his current race for governor. The leader was not without controversy before the most recent reports. He has been quoted saying that “some people need to be killed” when speaking about liberal political rivals and that he wished to return to a time when women could not vote. An ultraconservative, he has received the backing of the GOP in North Carolina, and the party must now decide whether or not to keep him on the ticket.

The 56-year-old is a native of Greensborough, North Carolina, and is married with two children. Before getting into politics, he was involved in the furniture manufacturing business and served in the Army Reserve.

Republicans stand with Robinson (for now)

Though not all the members of the GOP are standing with the lieutenant governor, some have stated publically that Robinson should stay in the race.

Could the party choose another candidate?

The campaign has canceled events scheduled for today in preparation for the story’s release, and many political insiders are saying that pressure for Robinson to drop out is growing. But, can a new name be put forward so close to election day?

North Carolina law, according to independent reporter Bryan Anderson, says that the party has until tonight to strip Robinson from the ticket.

However, Anderson explains that it remains unclear whether another candidate can replace Robinson this close to the election as the ballots have already been printed.

The Republicans could quickly select a new candidate and launch a write-in campaign, but such efforts are challenging, particularly when there is such little time and the party is behind in the polls.

Jason Simmons, the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, has yet to make a statement on whether the party will continue to support its candidate.

*This is a developing story.