North Carolina Democrats are pushing back on Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s recent embrace of the state’s current 12-week abortion ban, highlighting multiple public statements that he would seek to ban abortion under any circumstances if elected Governor.
Robinson has a well-documented history of anti-abortion declarations, including saying pregnant women seeking abortions should “keep your skirt down” to avoid unwanted pregnancy. He has described scenarios under his potential Governorship where with “a willing Legislature, we could pass a bill and say you can’t have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.”
In a digital ad released last week, Robinson, whose now-wife had an abortion three decades ago, sought to soften his stance on the issue by announcing his support for current state law, which bans abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
“Thirty years ago, my wife and I made a very difficult decision,” Robinson said in the ad, while grasping his wife Yolanda’s hand. “We had an abortion. It was like this silent pain between us that we never spoke of.”
“That’s why I stand by our current law,” Robinson continued. “It provides commonsense exceptions for the life of the mother, incest and rape, which gives help to mothers and stops cruel late-term abortions. When I’m Governor, mothers will be supported.”
North Carolina Democrats seeking to elect Attorney General Josh Stein, are pushing back on Robinson’s apparent abortion about face. On Wednesday, the Robinson War Room, a third-party political organization opposing Robinson’s bid for Governor, held a virtual press conference to highlight Robinson’s public statements on abortion.
Democrats already oppose the 12-week ban, which is “wrong for North Carolinians and women across our state,” according to North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton.
“Decisions like these need to be between someone and their doctor, not the Republican majorities in our state legislature or Mark Robinson,” Clayton told reporters on Wednesday.
“But what’s missing from Mark Robinsons newest ad are all of his promises to take us so much further backwards. … Mark Robinson is seeing just how much women across North Carolina hate the idea of him making decisions, or Republicans in the General Assembly making decisions about their bodies, and so he feels the need to try and obscure his extremism.”
Ryan Stitzlein, Vice President of Political and Government Relations for Reproductive Freedom for All, said Robinson has not changed his political stance on abortion, only his public statements in an attempt to bury his extremist views on the issue.
“No matter how Mark Robinson tries to spin it the truth, and that is the only reason why he’s trying to cover this up, North Carolinians should not be fooled,” Stitzlein said.
“This is the same man who has mocked people for having an abortion. … We have seen countless horror stories play out in states across the country with bans where people are being forced to travel hundreds of miles to other states to access an abortion, while others are blocked from care, even in life threatening emergencies.”
On Aug. 6, Robinson released another ad featuring “Women for Mark Robinson” from around North Carolina singing his praises as a commonsense, family-values candidate. The ad features Shae Faraday, the Women’s State Director for Robinson’s campaign and a mother of four, who says she wants her children “to have the same freedoms I did growing up.” None of the women in the 90-second ad mention abortion.
