Michael Whatley is centering his campaign for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina on future prospects. However, the influence of former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP’s prior statewide candidate, remains significant.
Robinson faced a loss in the 2024 governor’s race by a margin of nearly 15 points. His defeat was partly attributed to a history of making controversial remarks considered sexist and bigoted, including some on a porn website. He also supported several extreme right policies, notably a total abortion ban.
Whatley, who led the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 till March 2024, was present through most of Robinson’s political journey. During this period, he praised Robinson multiple times.
In a September 2020 radio interview, Whatley remarked, “Mark is a man of tremendous faith and a very solid conservative,” adding that Robinson could have been a Baptist preacher due to his oratory skills. “He’s one of the most elegant, powerful speakers that I’ve seen in politics in generations.”
Whatley also described Robinson as a “man of the people.”
At the time of these remarks, it was already well-known that Robinson had made incendiary social media posts likening abortion to murder, labeling LGBTQ individuals as “demonic,” and making antisemitic claims about Hollywood.
Robinson’s victory in the 2020 race for lieutenant governor prompted Whatley to encourage other Republicans to follow his lead.
“Mark Robinson ran one of the most effective campaigns in NC history,” Whatley wrote on social media. “He was relentlessly focused on delivering his message to NC voters and completely authentic. We need more candidates like Mark in politics.”
Robinson, as lieutenant governor, frequently drew attention with his outspoken comments.
During a June 2021 address at the North Carolina Republican Convention, also attended by Whatley, Robinson criticized abortion rights, telling women, “Once you make a baby, it’s not your body anymore.”
Further controversial social media posts by Robinson surfaced in March 2023, including one where he appeared to question the Holocaust death toll, a claim he later described as a misunderstanding.
Upon Robinson securing the Republican nomination for governor in March 2024, Whatley gave his endorsement.
“Congratulations to Mark Robinson for winning the NC Gubernatorial Primary,” Whatley wrote on X. “North Carolina voters have delivered a resounding message that they want change in the Governor’s Mansion and Mark Robinson is ready to deliver it!”
Whatley was named chairman of the national Republican Party later that month.
It wasn’t until September 2024, following a CNN report on Robinson’s derogatory comments on a porn forum, that Whatley distanced himself. Robinson had made incendiary remarks on the forum, including calling himself a “Black Nazi” and referring to Martin Luther King Jr. as “Martin Lucifer Koon.”
Whatley told Bloomberg News, “Those comments are absolutely antithetical to Republican values.”
Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory noted to CNN that Whatley was partly responsible for Robinson’s rise, saying Whatley overlooked Robinson’s known flaws, leading to a campaign described as a “ticking time bomb.”
Robinson’s campaign did not bounce back, and he lost the 2024 election to the incumbent Gov. Josh Stein.
Currently, Whatley is campaigning to replace retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who recently opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In a July 23 Axios interview, Tillis described Robinson’s campaign as an “embarrassment” and advised North Carolina Republicans to “learn a lesson” from his candidacy.
Whatley is seen as the leading contender for the Republican nomination, with former Gov. Roy Cooper, a frequent critic of Robinson’s statements and actions, likely to be his Democratic opponent. Cooper has publicly called for Robinson’s resignation on various occasions.
The North Carolina Senate race is projected to be among the most closely watched and costly contests of 2026.
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