Robinson and Stein are battling it out in a turbulent race for North Carolina's governor's seat

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson are facing off in the nationally watched race to become North Carolina's next governor.

In November, one of them will get the top job in the critical swing state. However, the two leaders have expressed completely different political views.

Current Governor Roy Cooper is not running this time because his term is limited under the North Carolina State Constitution. Governors and lieutenant governors are elected every four years with a two-year term limit.

The incumbent governor has already endorsed Stein.

Robinson also had a big supporter: former President Donald Trump. However, Trump has worked to publicly distance himself from Robinson after a CNN report detailed comments Robinson allegedly made on a pornography website in 2008 and 2012.

The report sparked pressure on Robinson to withdraw from the race, but he refused to do so. The deadline for candidates to withdraw has now expired.

Robinson posted a video on X shortly before the story aired in September, claiming it involved “outrageous lies” from Josh Stein's campaign. He further denies having written the posts, which contain racist and sexually explicit content.

The denial did not stop several of his employees from resigning.

His decision to continue campaigning could jeopardize the GOP's results in other key elections in North Carolina, including Trump's efforts to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground state.

Trump won North Carolina twice.

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