The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

N.C. GOP nominee compared Planned Parenthood, men with saggy pants to KKK

Mark Robinson, the Republican in a competitive governor’s race, has declared them and others comparable to or worse than the Ku Klux Klan in social media posts

March 20, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson addresses supporters at a campaign event in Faison, N.C., on Feb. 17. (Madeline Gray for The Washington Post)
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Planned Parenthood. Men with saggy pants. People who tore down Confederate flags and monuments. The Rev. Al Sharpton.

Mark Robinson, the GOP nominee in one of this year’s most competitive governor’s races, has declared them all comparable to or worse than the Ku Klux Klan in social media posts that have drawn little attention. The posts are part of a long record of comments ranging from provocative to bigoted that are getting more scrutiny as the campaign heats up in North Carolina — and that some Republicans worry will be a liability in a battleground state.