Mark Robinson makes campaign stop at China Grove
Published on Thursday, August 29, 2024, 0:10
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Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson (left) talks with Gary’s BBQ owner Gary Ritchie after a meet-and-greet at the restaurant.
Mark Robinson, left, talks with Rowan County Commissioner Mike Caskey, center, and Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen at Gary’s BBQ.
CHINA GROVE — Dozens of voters from across the region crowded in and around a side dining room of Gary’s BBQ on Tuesday to hear Republican gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Lt. Governor Mark Robinson.
The meet and greet in Rowan County was one of many stops Robinson made in counties across the state as part of his campaign against Democratic candidate and incumbent Attorney General Josh Stein. Just hours earlier, Robinson had made a similar stop at a diner in Randolph County.
“People react when you talk about these substantive issues. People are concerned about a lot of social issues, but what they’re really concerned about is our economy, our education system, they’re concerned about law and order, they’re concerned about housing, infrastructure, these things that are going to build North Carolina,” Robinson said.
Robinson addressed many of these points in his speech, which he delivered in an adjoining room of the restaurant. This room did not have enough space for the audience, as latecomers crowded outside or simply sat in another room waiting to speak to the candidate.
“The education aspect is pretty simple. One statistic in this state is that we spend 61 percent of our $33 billion budget on public education and statistically, our K-12 students are not reading at their grade level. That has to change and I believe that has to change by making leadership changes, particularly in our state school board so that we can go back to classical education and put a strong emphasis on reading, writing and math, the core subjects to give our kids the success they need in the classroom that leads to success outside the classroom. Making those changes there is going to be critical,” Robinson said.
When it comes to public safety, Robinson said the most important cornerstone is standing behind the state’s law enforcement agencies and giving them the support they need.
“The bottom line is that the reason crime is out of control right now, and I’ve been saying this for years, is that we have so many elected officials who don’t support our police departments. They don’t give them the resources they need. They don’t give them the support they need. Criminals are watching us, they know that if elected officials don’t have the sheriff’s back, half of their power is lost. If we give them that support back, criminals will know that if they screw up in this state, they’re heading for trouble. And that’s where we want them,” Robinson said.
Robinson also addressed recent ads filed by the Josh Stein campaign about citations for multiple violations at a daycare center Robinson and his wife operated from 2000 to 2007. The ad says the daycare center was cited for leaving electrical outlets uncovered near one-year-olds, operating without lights, heat or running water, and using fake IDs and failing to check criminal backgrounds.
“This daycare advertisement is pure lies, and here’s who it really offends. It offends Mark Robinson, but guess who else it offends? It offends the loyal parents who have come to our daycare for years to use our services. What parent in their right mind would take their child to a daycare that is so subpar? I would argue no one would. There is no way we could have stayed in business this long if we had such a bad reputation, and we did not. You can count on some parents to fight back, and we will continue our lawsuit against Josh Stein because everything he says is false,” Robinson said.
Also in attendance were local and state officials, including County Commissioner Mike Caskey, Sheriff Travis Allen, Rowan-Salisbury School System Board of Education Chairman Dean Hunter, County Commission write-in candidate Bobby Kemp, Rowan County Republican Party Chairman Tony Yon and State Senator Carl Ford.
“We are very pleased with what we have heard on the ground because it is consistent with our message,” Robinson said.
