But Robinson’s endorsement of Budd - who also had President Donald Trump’s backing - changed that relationship, Walker has said. Walker and Robinson had been close allies, the result of Walker’s distribution of Robinson’s 2018 speech defending gun rights to the Greensboro city council that went viral and in time vaulted Robinson to prominence. Recently, abortion came to the forefront in North Carolina as the General Assembly overrode Cooper’s veto of a bill that starting July 1 will narrow the state’s ban on most abortions from 20 weeks of pregnancy to after 12 weeks. State Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said Walker joined a “growing field of GOP candidates that are all missing the mark for North Carolinians with extreme agendas” against abortion and public education and for “job-killing culture wars.” “It’s not clear there is a unique constituency within the Republican Party that Walker would be able to tap into as a means of beating Robinson,” Heberlig said.įolwell, who has been treasurer since 2017, said Saturday in a text that while he welcomed Walker into the race he remained “uniquely qualified” to become governor because of his state financial responsibilities and government experience. Unless he’s able to be financially competitive, Walker’s path to a primary victory seems narrow, said Eric Heberlig, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Walker pitched supporters to raise $1 million toward his candidacy by June 30 as a way to build traction for his campaign. He added: “Republicans are going to have to ask themselves at some point does character and integrity still matter to us.”Ī Robinson campaign spokesperson didn’t immediately respond Saturday to an email seeking comment. “What we need is a governor candidate that can withhold and withstand a level of scrutiny that we’ve never seen for the chief executive in North Carolina,” Walker said during his speech, without mentioning Robinson. But some Republicans have questioned whether Robinson’s aggressive style - and blunt comments about LGBTQ+ rights and women’s roles, and against abortion - make him the party’s best choice to win a general election. Robinson is a popular speaker at conservative churches and organizations, as well as a strong fundraiser. Walker acknowledged on Saturday to reporters that the current GOP primary favorite is Robinson, who was elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2020. Senate primary to eventual general election winner Ted Budd. Walker finished a distant third in the 2022 Republican U.S. While Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in the legislature and hold the most seats on the state Supreme Court, they’ve only held the governor’s job for four years since 1993. Black supporters were featured prominently at the announcement event. He’s been known for his efforts to work with minority groups, particularly on funding historically Black colleges. Walker said he had a history, in both the pulpit and in Congress, of building bridges with unaffiliated and Democratic voters, which North Carolina Republican candidates often need to win statewide races. If elected, he said he would provide a bulwark against federal policy intrusions, promote educational opportunity and economic freedom, and protect families and children on cultural issues. Walker, a former Baptist pastor who rode the Tea Party wave to three terms in Congress, made the announcement to a crowd of 300 at a church in Kernersville. Mark Walker formally entered next year’s race for North Carolina governor on Saturday, saying that he’s best suited to win the seat that has eluded Republicans for much of the past three decades, by attracting a diverse set of voters in the otherwise closely divided state.
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