GASTONIA, N.C. — Republican nominee for North Carolina's gubernatorial race, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, held campaign events in Charlotte and Gastonia on Friday.
During his events, Robinson addressed the need for more healthcare facilities in rural parts of our state. He also says there are ways to improve the state's economy.
"It is extremely difficult for us to deliver health care in rural areas but we've got to figure it out," he said.
Robinson is currently the second most powerful person in the state's executive branch. He is running for the top office against Democrat Josh Stein, who is currently the state's attorney general.
Robinson, a favorite of former President Donald Trump, is the party's nominee for governor in the November election. He is looking to succeed term-limited Democrat Roy Cooper in a state that has voted for Trump twice and has backed Republicans for the presidency all but once since 1980. Robinson is popular for his working-class history and a blunt speaking style that at times resembles Trump’s.
But Robinson also has a history of inflammatory comments that his opponent, Stein, has said makes him too extreme to lead North Carolina. It raises the prospect that campaign struggles for Robinson could hurt Trump's chances to win a state he cannot afford to lose to Democrat Kamala Harris.
The Associated Press contributed to this report