(The Center Square) – Mark Robinson, who bid to become the first Black governor in North Carolina history, is no longer pursuing a defamation case against CNN and a former porn store clerk.
Nor will the former Republican lieutenant governor be running for public office again, he says in a social media post that begins, “important life update.”
“The words of our Savior, along with the earthly reality that costly litigation and political gamesmanship by my detractors makes clear that continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort,” Robinson wrote. “That is why I have asked Jesse Binnall and his legal team to terminate any continued attempt to litigate with CNN on my or my family’s behalf.”
Robinson said serving as lieutenant governor after winning the November 2020 election was the “honor of a lifetime.”
And he added, “The continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to continue to bear.”
Robinson said he will not run for office next year and is without plans to do so in the future.
Robinson, 56, lost handily to 58-year-old Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein. The race was called by multiple outlets just minutes after the polls closed through the next 45 minutes.
Labeled one of the most expensive and competitive governor’s races in the nation, both candidates brought in millions of dollars. Stein’s fundraising more than doubled Robinson.
His political career, in contrast to many long-lasting, was more of a shooting star. Robinson rose to viral fame in 2018 on the strength of speaking to the Greensboro City Council during time for public comments, eventually becoming a regular with the campaign of Donald Trump in each of the last two election cycles.
By the time Trump blitzed the state with visits in the final 40 days and nights last year, Robinson was no longer with him. He didn’t give up the fight to win the election, but his gatherings were small and no longer included lieutenant governor candidate Hal Weatherman – another taking an Election Night setback, though by just 105,356 votes of more than 5.5 million cast.
Already beginning to slip in polling, Robinson’s campaign was torpedoed on Sept. 19 by a CNN report linking him to a porn chat room more than a decade ago – long before he entered public servant life. Robinson sued Cable News Network and Louis Love Money.
In May, about six months from Election Day, Robinson was a tenth of a point ahead of Stein in a poll by the Carolina Journal. He lost ground from there, particularly in campaign finances raised. In August, the same pollster had Stein ahead by 4.4%.
His deficit in polls eventually grew well past 10%. On Election Night, he lost 54.9%-40.1%.
Robinson, 56, campaigned on backing law enforcement, reducing violent crime, investing in education including teacher pay, and care for veterans. He proposed to reduce inflation, reform regulations and cut taxes for both families and businesses.