Four Mark Robinson staffers step down from embattled campaign

Four top staff members of Mark Robinson's campaign for North Carolina governor have stepped down, the campaign announced Sunday as the candidate faces calls from Republicans to do the same.

The campaign's comment did not link the staff departures to the bombshell CNN report alleging Robinson, a Republican, made antisemitic and racist comments years ago on a porn website, and it did not say why the staffers were stepping down.

The campaign said the staff members who stepped down are Chris Rodriguez, campaign manager; Heather Whillier, finance director; Jason Rizk, deputy campaign manager; and Conrad Pogorzelski III, general consultant and senior adviser.

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"I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors. I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days," Robinson said in a statement.

He added that he is "confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5."

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Robinson has denied the allegations in the CNN report and vowed to stay in the race. Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concern over the allegations, but the North Carolina Republican Party emphasized in a statement shortly after the story was published that Robinson "has categorically denied the allegations."

Democrats have sought to link Robinson to former President Donald Trump, releasing new advertisements highlighting Trump's previous praise for Robinson, who is North Carolina's lieutenant governor. Trump endorsed Robinson in the governor's race and said he has no plans to withdraw his support.

Democrats see North Carolina as a state that can possibly be flipped in the presidential race. They have unleashed resources on the state after Trump won it in 2020 by a narrow margin. Polls indicate that the race remains tight. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, has said it would be "very hard" for his ticket to win the presidential race without North Carolina.