Republican candidate for North Carolina Governor, Mark Robinson, was hospitalized on Friday night with second-degree burns following an incident at a campaign event. Robinson, who is currently the North Carolina Lieutenant Governor, was campaigning at the Mayberry Truck Show in Mount Airy when the incident occurred. Details of the incident that led to the burns have not been disclosed yet.
According to spokesperson Mike Lonergan, Robinson was taken to Northern Regional Hospital for treatment. Lonergan reassured the public that Robinson is in good spirits and appreciated the well wishes he received. Despite the incident, Robinson is set to return to the campaign trail as scheduled, with four stops planned for Saturday.
Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign has faced controversy recently after a CNN investigation revealed racist and sexually explicit comments allegedly made by Robinson on a pornography website named Nude Africa. The investigation linked Robinson to the comments through an email address and screen name used on the site. The comments included inflammatory remarks where the user identified as a “black NAZI” and made derogatory remarks about owning slaves.
Robinson has denied making these comments and has hired a law firm to investigate the matter. Nevertheless, the scandal has led to some Republicans distancing themselves from Robinson. Former President Donald Trump, during a rally in North Carolina, did not mention Robinson’s campaign and stated he was unaware of the situation when asked to comment.
In the aftermath of the scandal, a dozen staff members from Robinson’s campaign and office have resigned. Robinson is currently running for governor against Democratic nominee Josh Stein to succeed North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. The Independent has reached out to Robinson’s office for further comment on the incident and the ongoing scandal.