Source: The Atlantic
Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, has made military and veterans’ issues a central theme in his campaign.
“I commit myself every day to stand up for these folks,” Robinson said in a December 2022 video. “We said when we were running that we were fighting to make North Carolina the gold standard for veterans’ care. And that’s not just a saying that we take lightly.”
As lieutenant governor, Robinson’s statutory duties include serving on North Carolina’s Military Affairs Commission (MAC), a state body advising on military and veterans’ issues. Despite his focus on these issues, MAC records show Robinson hasn’t attended a single meeting during his four-year term.
Although the MAC serves primarily as an advisory group to the legislature and governor, Robinson’s role as a nonvoting member has drawn criticism for his lack of attendance. In response, Robinson’s office minimized the importance of his commission seat, emphasizing his engagement with military and veterans’ groups across the state. A spokesperson cited Robinson’s support for a bill exempting military pensions from state income tax and his visits to military installations as evidence of his commitment.
Chris Cooper, a political scientist at Western Carolina University, argued that attendance is crucial, saying, “You show how much you care with time. If he’s not putting his time attending these meetings, it’s a sign that it wasn’t a priority.”
Robinson’s attendance record at various state bodies, including the state board of education, has been spotty. The MAC meets quarterly, and the minutes show Robinson has been absent from every meeting since he took office in 2021. Despite this, Robinson has publicly expressed frustration with the lack of bipartisan cooperation on veterans’ issues.
In a May 2023 church event, Robinson stated, “I’m here because our veterans are being pushed aside for illegals. I am here because our economy is in shambles. I am here because our nation is literally falling apart, and I need to be standing in the gap to pull her back from the precipice.” Just two days later, he missed another MAC meeting that discussed programs to encourage veteran hiring, improve mental health care, and provide tax breaks for disabled veterans. Robinson’s predecessor, Republican Dan Forest, attended some MAC meetings during his term.
Robinson has gained national attention for his controversial remarks, but he also makes conventional statements about supporting the military, which is politically significant in a state that prides itself on being “the nation’s most military-friendly state.” North Carolina is home to key military bases like Camp Lejeune and Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) and has a large population of active-duty service members and veterans.
Although Robinson has made gestures toward supporting the military, his overall record is lacking. His campaign website lists “Expanding Veterans Care” as a priority, promising to help veterans in retirement and make North Carolina “the gold standard of veterans care.” However, his actual influence on these issues as lieutenant governor has been limited, and he opposed a Medicaid expansion backed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper that has provided new benefits to thousands of veterans.
Military service has often been a contentious issue in American politics, and recent elections have seen a renewed focus on candidates’ military backgrounds. Robinson, who served in the Army Reserve, has rarely discussed his service in detail. In his memoir, he writes about his desire to be a soldier and the role JROTC played in his life but also admits that he found the Army’s discipline challenging.
As Robinson’s attendance record shows, discipline and commitment continue to be issues. Four years ago, while running for lieutenant governor, Robinson criticized politicians for making empty promises to veterans. “Folks, we got to start doing better by our veterans,” he said at a conservative event. “This whole time, kicking the can down the road… It’s way past the time for us to stop paying lip service to people who went off and risked their lives for us.”
Now, despite having the opportunity to take action, Robinson has failed to show up.
