Political newcomer Mark Robinson of Greensboro wins GOP nomination for lieutenant governor

RALEIGH — A former factory worker and day care operator whose gun rights speech before the Greensboro City Council in 2018 vaulted him to prominence among conservatives won the Republican nomination for North Carolina’s lieutenant governor on Tuesday in a crowded field.

First-time candidate Mark Robinson also exceeded the 30% threshold needed to win outright and avoid a runoff.

Current state Sen. Andy Wells was second in a primary that also included current N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson, a former school board member in Forsyth County; former U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers; and former state Rep. Scott Stone.

Robinson’s 2018 recorded speech before the Greensboro council went viral, making him a nationwide speaker.

“The majority of people in this city are law abiding,” Robinson told council members, “and they follow the law and they want their constitutional right to bear arms.