Election Breakdown: Josh Stein, Mark Robinson vie for North Carolina governor’s seat

NORTH CAROLINA ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — The race to succeed Roy Cooper as North Carolina's governor began with as much hype and as any could on the state level, but in September things turned on their head following a bombshell report from CNN.

Who's running

Josh Stein, Democrat

Hometown: Chapel Hill

Current Office: N.C. Attorney General (2017-present)

Platform: Stein is hoping to become the second straight governor to come from the attorney general's office, and has received support from Cooper, whose second term is ending this year. His campaign has touted his work for opioid treatment funding and clearing the state's rape kit backlog , while condemning Mark Robinson's statements on women related to banning abortion.

He also is pushing for greater spending on public education, since the state ranks near the bottom nationwide on teacher funding.

Mark Robinson, Republican

Hometown:

Current Office: N.C. Lieutenant Governor (2021-present)

Platform: Robinson didn't hold political office until being sworn into North Carolina's No. 2 executive position nearly four years ago. But his appearance on gun rights in Greensboro thrust him into the GOP spotlight.

former daycare owner is a proponent of school choice, also touting his support of law enforcement and school apprentice programs.

Things took a sharp and bizarre turn for Robinson just a few months away from the election. CNN published a report of Robinson claiming he made comments on a porn website, in which the user refers to himself as a "black NAZI," disparages Martin Luther King Jr. and wishes for the return of slavery.

This has led to a defamation lawsuit against the cable news company and a former employee of a Greensboro porn shop, with Robinson claiming the report is untrue. Further, several of his campaign staff resigned, including his senior advisor.

Last week, his campaign faced another lawsuit, this time from the Vox polling company for failing to pay a $114,000 invoice

A recent Associated Press report states that Stein's team has raised $44.6 million over the last four months and spent $59.3 million, compared to Robinson's campaign committee, who raised $4.1 million and spent almost $10 million.

Since the CNN report, Robinson's campaign turned to smaller-scale stops, like in small-town shops and restaurants.