With Robinson Candidacy, North Carolina Republicans Fear Damage to Years of Gains

The large Republican question that swept the South starting successful the precocious 20th Century — the precise question that Lyndon Johnson predicted aft signing the Civil Rights Act successful 1964 — came comparatively precocious to North Carolina.

But erstwhile it yet deed successful 2013, with Republicans controlling some the legislature and the governor’s mansion for the archetypal clip since Reconstruction, it did truthful with breathtaking force. Led by a radical of savvy, tactically skilled authorities lawmakers, North Carolina Republicans acceptable retired to undo decades of center-left argumentation enshrined by Democrats, and to remake the rules of the governmental crippled successful their favor.

They engaged successful gerrymandering that ensured the enactment a near-lock connected the authorities legislature and lopsided power of the state’s House delegation successful Congress. They paved the mode for a blimpish authorities Supreme Court that upheld a strict elector ID law. And aft gaining a veto-proof bulk past year, they banned astir abortions aft 12 weeks of pregnancy.

And portion Republicans mislaid the governorship successful 2016, they had harbored anticipation of winning afloat power of authorities authorities again this year, bringing North Carolina successful alignment with astir different Southern states.

Then came Mark Robinson.

Long earlier this week, erstwhile CNN reported that Mr. Robinson had called himself a “black NAZI!,” discussed his pornography habits and praised slavery successful an big online forum, the bellicose Republican nominee for politician (and existent lieutenant governor) was polling poorly against his Democratic rival, Josh Stein.

But present much than ever, Mr. Robinson, with his antisemitic and anti-gay rhetoric and performative, polarizing marque of politics, is sending waves of anxiousness done the authorities party.