FIRST ON FOX – The National Rifle Association (NRA) gave their full endorsement to “fervent patriot” Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in his bid to expand his meteoric political rise and become governor of the Tar Heel State, Fox News Digital has learned. 

“It is with immense pride and unwavering support that I, on behalf of the National Rifle Association members across North Carolina, extend to you the NRA-PVF’s highest accolade, the ‘A+’ rating, and our full endorsement for your gubernatorial bid in the 2024 North Carolina Primary Election,” NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch wrote in a letter to Robinson Tuesday. 

Robinson assumed office as North Carolina lieutenant governor in 2021, becoming the state’s first Black American to hold the office. He announced last April he would run for governor. 

Kozuch detailed in his endorsement letter that Robinson’s fight to protect the Second Amendment has resonated not only with NRA members in North Carolina, but with law-abiding gun owners nationwide.

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“Your resolute defense of the Second Amendment and the principles of liberty has profoundly resonated with our members, not just in North Carolina but across the nation. Your assertion that the protection of the citizenry’s right to keep and bear arms is not just a policy stance but a fundamental cornerstone of freedom, echoes the very ethos of the NRA,” Kozuch said in his letter. 

Robinson went viral in 2018 when he delivered an impassioned speech regarding gun laws during a city council meeting in Greensboro, before he was elected to political office. His speech came in response to local leaders debating whether to cancel a gun show following the Parkland school shooting in Florida that same year. 

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“I’m a law-abiding citizen who’s never shot anybody,” Robinson said at the meeting, which was viewed 200 million times. “Every time we have one of these shootings, nobody wants to put the blame where it goes, which is at the shooter’s feet. You want to put it at my feet. You want to turn around and restrict my right.”

The viral speech catapulted Robinson into politics, including delivering an NRA speech in 2018 before he secured the lieutenant governorship. Robinson previously worked as a furniture factory employee in North Carolina and is an Army veteran.

“On April 3, 2018, you stood tall as a beacon of liberty before the Greensboro City Council, vowing to be the unwavering voice for the rights of law-abiding citizens. A mere month later, you boldly took the national stage, addressing the national media and fellow NRA members and Second Amendment champions at the 2018 NRA Leadership Forum,” Kozuch said in his letter. 

Kozuch said Robinson’s rise in politics has been “nothing short of remarkable,” while highlighting that the North Carolina Republican has remained dedicated to protecting the Second Amendment while in political office. 

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“Your ascent over the past six years has been nothing short of remarkable. As a fervent patriot and defender of freedom, you took the courageous step to run for office, emerged victorious, and have since ceaselessly upheld your solemn pledge to defend the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” he said. 

Robinson’s ideology is rooted in “common-sense conservatism,” according to his official lieutenant governor biography, with him focusing on “protecting the life of the unborn, defending the 2nd Amendment, giving control over children’s education back to parents, standing up for law enforcement, addressing veterans’ care, and enacting election reform.”

The state’s Republican primary for governor will be held March 5, when Robinson will face off against state Treasurer Dale Folwell and veteran trial lawyer Bill Graham. 

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“This endorsement is a testament to your steadfast commitment to the Second Amendment and your relentless efforts to safeguard the right of North Carolinians to defend themselves and their loved ones,” Kozuch said in his letter.