Mark Robinson skipped vote to declare a state of emergency for Hurricane Helene | North Carolina

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson skipped a vote on declaring a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene's arrival in the southern state, according to a report.

Robinson, who was recently attacked for allegedly racist and explicit posts on a pornography website's message board, was the only member of the State Assembly who did not vote on Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's emergency declaration, WRAL News reported.

Cooper called for the statement on Sept. 24 from North Carolina's top elected officials in the state's executive branch so he could mobilize a decisive response to Helene. The vote allowed Cooper to more easily mobilize emergency vehicles and issue evacuation orders.

According to WRAL, eight of the nine members of the State Council voted in favor of the declaration — all except Robinson. Cooper has since deployed more than 700 members of the North Carolina National Guard to areas suffering the wrath of Helene, which has left at least 166 dead and hundreds missing in six states; Joe Biden also gave the green light to the governor's request for expedited federal aid.

Guardsmen have rescued more than 400 people and scores of animals in western North Carolina after historic flooding and landslides submerged roads and greatly complicated search efforts. More than 347,000 people in North Carolina remain without power.

Some of the hardest-hit areas, including Asheville, are struggling to find clean water. According to the Washington Post, some residents boil water and bathe in streams.

Robinson criticized Cooper's response to Helene despite not voting on the emergency measure, saying on social media Tuesday: “The time for politics is over. “We're talking about saving lives.”

“North Carolina must follow the example of successful governors [Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis]. Reduce bureaucratic burdens. Stop waiting for federal funding and allow private industry to assist in rescue and recovery efforts and repair infrastructure immediately.”

“This is a life and death situation,” he said.

WRAL said it was unclear why Robinson did not respond to the vote. Robinson's office did not immediately comment to WRAL on why he opted out. His chief of staff Krishana Polite said he was visiting areas affected by Helene.

“All hands on deck means just that, including the hands of every single elected official in this state,” she said in a statement obtained by WRAL. “We must be on the ground and working to save the citizens of this state – just as Lt. Governor Robinson and his team have been doing around the clock for days.”

Robinson is running against Democrat Josh Stein, the state's attorney general. Many Republicans have distanced themselves from Robinson in the wake of the controversy over alleged message board posts that he denied writing.