North Carolina
Trump pledges to endorse Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump said Saturday night in North Carolina that he would endorse Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson for governor in a move many delegates expect will cement Robinson’s place as the front-runner in a competitive GOP primary and propel him to the governor’s office.
Trump threw his support behind the similarly sharp-spoken Robinson at the state GOP convention in Greensboro during one of his first public appearances since he was hit this week with a historic indictment — the first federal case against a former president.
Trump said he would save his formal endorsement for another time but told Robinson from the stage, “You can count on it, Mark.” He referred to Robinson as “one of the great stars of the party, one of the great stars in politics.”
The former president, meanwhile, faces 37 felony counts for improperly storing in his Florida estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides to help him hide records demanded by investigators and showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and a classified map.
But several North Carolina delegates, who greeted the former president and 2024 GOP front-runner with roaring applause, dismissed the indictment as a bad-faith attack by President Joe Biden’s administration to undercut his strongest competitor.
Many Republican voters anticipate the indictment, which Trump called “a travesty of justice,” will boost his presidential campaign — and boost Robinson’s along with it.
“In a lot of ways he reminds me of Trump in that he doesn’t pull any punches,” said Mia Brydie, a 52-year-old GOP delegate from Greensboro. “I admire him because he’s a man that speaks for the people.”
Robinson was elected in 2020 as the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in his first run for public office. He would make similar history if he wins the governorship.
Brydie, a Black woman, said she thinks Robinson is the best person to represent her and other Black and working-class families. Robinson released an autobiography last year that talked about a childhood of poverty and the various financial challenges he has faced as an adult.
But some members of the party have questioned whether Robinson’s long history of harsh comments — which some women, Jewish people and members of the LGBTQ+ community have blasted as misogynistic, antisemitic and homophobic — might hurt the party’s chances of winning back the governorship in a closely divided state.
Robinson’s campaign did not immediately respond Saturday to email and phone messages seeking comment.
Despite Republican success in controlling both chambers of the state legislature, the GOP has won the governor’s office just once since 1992 — back in 2012. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has held the office since 2017, is term-limited and cannot run again in 2024.
State Attorney General Josh Stein is the only prominent Democrat who has entered the race to succeed Cooper. His campaign spokesperson, Kate Frauenfelder, said she expects Trump’s endorsement of Robinson will “spur even more chaos in the already messy Republican primary.”
State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who is running against Robinson in the GOP primary, told The Associated Press by text message Saturday during Trump’s speech that he never intended to ask for or receive the former president’s endorsement.
Trump “doesn’t know me or my track record for governing or explaining conservatism without offending people,” Folwell said.
Charles Norwood, a delegate from Hampstead, said shortly before Trump’s speech Saturday that he was undecided about which gubernatorial candidate to support.
Robinson is “very dynamic,” Norwood said. But he and his wife, Lynn, said they were both leaning toward Folwell, who has impressed them during his time as state treasurer.
“Mark has got the enthusiasm, but he may be unfamiliar with the levers of power,” Norwood said. “He may not work the political system as well as he works the emotional system.”
Robinson, Norwood said, is “not as politically sophisticated” as Folwell. But the husband and wife agreed that Trump’s endorsement of Robinson would be enough to sway them “because Trump’s going to be president, and the governor should be on his side,” he said.
Jonathan Bridges, a campaign spokesperson for former U.S. Rep Mark Walker, another GOP candidate for governor, said he “fully anticipated” Trump’s expression of support for Robinson but expects he might not want to follow through with a formal endorsement once he learns more about the lieutenant governor.
Jim Forster, an 81-year-old delegate from Guilford County, drew several parallels between Trump and Robinson, including their hardline conservative positions on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and their uncensored approach to campaign speeches. Like Trump, Robinson is “strong and aggressive,” he said.
“He would make a lot of mistakes but would do a lot of good things, too,” Forster said. “He’s loud, he’s noisy, he’s pushy and he’s right — that’s what makes him special.”
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Hannah Schoenbaum is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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Associated Press writer Gary Robertson contributed from Raleigh.
McDowell County resident shares his story of loss from Helene floods in western North Carolina
Chris Loftis shares his story of the Tropical Storm Helene floods along Highway 80 in McDowell County.
Tropical Storm Helene destroyed nearly 1,000 homes when it tore through Western North Carolina Sept. 27, maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency show.
The maps, which show verified damage to homes as of Jan. 7, were presented to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners at its Jan. 16 budget retreat.
In Buncombe County, Helene destroyed 340 homes, according to the maps. More than 170 were owner-occupied, while the remaining were rental properties.
The maps also show how many homes across the state sustained major damage and how many require repairs so residents can move back in.
According to the maps, 2,360 homes suffered major damage. Nearly one-third were rentals. Additionally, nearly 30,000 homes require habitability repairs, according to the maps. More than 6,000 of those homes were occupied by renters.
The number of damaged homes verified by FEMA is significantly lower than initial estimates from the state. According to a Dec. 13 damage needs assessment compiled by the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management, more than 73,000 homes were projected to be damaged, the majority of which were expected to be single-family and manufactured homes, and duplexes. In total, the state is estimating nearly $13 billion in residential damage alone.
The Citizen Times requested updated damage maps from FEMA on Jan. 17.
How did homes in Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Madison and Yancey counties fare?
Destroyed homes:
Buncombe: 340
Henderson: 89
McDowell: 92
Yancey: 100
Madison:11+
Major damage:
Buncombe: 640
Henderson: 354
McDowell: 128
Yancey: 166
Madison: 56
Homes requiring habitability repairs:
Buncombe: 8,920
Henderson: 3,988
McDowell: 1,442
Yancey: 1,767
Madison: 302
Jacob Biba is the county watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@citizentimes.com.
North Carolina
Vote: Who Should Be the North Carolina Boys High School Basketball Player of the Week? (1/20/2025)
Who was the North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Week last week?
Each week, High School On SI scours the state of North Carolina and compiles the top performances from the previous week.
Congratulations to last week’s winner: Jalin Sutton of Greene Central.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
The 6-foot-5 junior guard scored 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in the Sabres’ 71-63 win over Myers Park. Houpt also had 15 points in a 65-56 win over White Oak.
Kerr, a top 100 national recruit, scored 24 points as the Cougars toppled nationally ranked and previously undefeated Christ School 73-66. The 6-foot-4 junior guard has 10 college offers.
Charles scored 27 points and got 8 rebounds in a 56-42 win over Southside. The 6-foot-4 senior also had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in an 84-38 rout of Pamlico County.
Blow scored 17 points and got 6 rebounds in a 67-59 victory over Ayden-Grifton.
Barron scored 19 points while getting 7 steals and 5 assists in a 77-57 victory over Northwest Halifax.
Edwards posted 27 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in an 89-39 romp over Wayne Christian. He also had 17 points in an 84-57 win over First Flight.
Brewer dominated with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in a 66-48 win over Pisgah.
Parkins erupted for 39 points, tying a career high, in a 90-66 win over Asheville. The 6-foot-7 senior also had 17 rebounds. He had 27 points and 13 rebounds in an 81-65 win over Erwin.
Brown scored 30 points and had 5 rebounds in an 84-80 overtime win over Tuscola. In addition, he had 21 points in a 59-45 loss to East Henderson.
Fannon scored 31 points, including 9-of-14 from 3-point range, as the Mustangs beat St. Stephens 93-70.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A longtime Wake County Democratic state representative announced his resignation from the North Carolina General Assembly on Sunday.
Rep. Joe John, who represented northwestern Wake County, shared news of his resignation in a letter posted to his Facebook page, after he said he received a terminal diagnosis for throat cancer from his doctors. John, 85, first stated publicly that he was diagnosed with throat cancer in early December.
“I hope my legacy will be one of dedication to the common good — working to build bridges, advocate for the voiceless, and fight for justice,” he said.
John was first elected as a state representative in 2016 and served four consecutive terms. His upcoming term would have been his fifth. Before serving in the legislature, John spent a large portion of his life in the judicial field — as a state appeals judge, superior court judge and district judge. He also served as the State of North Carolina Crime Laboratory’s director.
The Wake County Democratic Party will be in charge of choosing someone to fill John’s vacant seat.
John said in his letter that he plans to focus on his health and spend time with his family after resigning.
“If my time in office has made even a small difference in your lives, then I will leave this world knowing I’ve done my part,” John said.
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