NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson didn't vote on state's Helene emergency declaration, records show

As a deadly storm system approached the southeastern U.S. last week, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office asked top state officials to support his call for emergency help.

He needed approval from the other elected officials in North Carolina’s executive branch, a group of nine known as the Council of State, to exercise certain authorities under the N.C. Emergency Management Act. Their blessing would enable the Democratic governor to more easily mobilize rescue vehicles, order evacuations and begin other emergency actions by waiving some of the state’s transportation regulations for heavy vehicles.

Within an hour of making the request on Sept. 24 — before Helene ravaged the western part of the state — most of the council had responded with supporting votes. But come 9 a.m. the next morning, one member had yet to cast a vote: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor.

Cooper has deployed more than 700 members of the North Carolina National Guard, who have helped rescue more than 400 people and dozens of animals in western North Carolina, where flooding and mudslides have crippled road networks, left more than 1,000 people homeless and dozens dead. Guardsmen and other volunteers have delivered hundreds of pallets of water and food since the storm started. Meanwhile, dozens of shelters are housing more than 1,100 people. And President Joe Biden approved Cooper’s request for expedited federal support.

Council members had 48 hours to vote via email. Robinson’s vote never came. Despite not weighing in, Robinson has spent recent days needling the Democratic governor to do more — a posturing that has drawn criticism from some members of his own party.

On Sunday, Robinson called on Cooper to send more resources and National Guard personnel to lead additional search-and-rescue teams. In a social media post on Tuesday, he added: “North Carolina must follow the lead of successful governors like [Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis]. Cut the red tape. Stop waiting on federal resources and allow private industry in to assist with rescue and recovery efforts, and repair infrastructure immediately.”

Jordan Monaghan, a spokesman for the governor, said Robinson’s comments give a false impression of the scope of the relief efforts.

"An online disinformation campaign by the lieutenant governor during an unprecedented crisis is unhelpful, causes confusion in areas with limited communications and potentially puts lives at risk,” Monaghan said in a statement.

“State, federal and local partners are leading a massive, coordinated response to a catastrophic storm," Monaghan said. "The governor declared a state of emergency well before this storm hit, has led public briefings from the Emergency Operations Center since last week, and continues to visit affected regions to coordinate more resources. Resources from across the state and country are deployed to help the people and communities of western North Carolina."

Robinson and Cooper have long had a frosty relationship. Robinson’s recent social media posts reflect that. That he didn’t vote to approve the emergency measure could underscore a widening disconnect between Robinson and other members of the Council of State — a chasm that has become more glaring in the wake of the storm, some political observers said.

“It’s inexcusable in a time of crisis,” former Gov. Pat McCrory said of Robinson’s lack of participation in the vote.

McCrory, a Republican, led the state in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew caused flooding in southeastern North Carolina. McCrory said he made a point to ensure the Council of State was on board with his decisions in the wake of Matthew.

Robinson’s participation in meetings for boards and commissions on which he sits has come under scrutiny on the campaign trail. McCrory said the lieutenant governor’s comments about other state leaders are unhelpful.

“This is not a time for criticism,” said McCrory, who has been a critic of Robinson prior to the storm. “This is a time for working together as a team and asking how you can help. I'm sure there are people who feel stranded out there, but right now is not the time to start throwing arrows.”

Organizing relief efforts is like drinking from a fire hose, McCrory said. People should reserve their criticism of emergency response leaders for when they’ve had a chance to review the full scope of the situation and the decisions that were made, he said.

“You don't do that while they're still in the middle of search and recovery,” McCrory said. “And they are still in search and recovery.”

‘With or without my vote’

The governor didn’t previously need permission from other executive branch leaders to take certain emergency actions, but the Republican-led state legislature changed the law following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Republican-majority Council of State can now choose to block Cooper’s actions. But the vote to approve Cooper’s Helene action was unanimous, aside from Robinson’s lack of response.

State law says that any member's failure to respond within two days counts as a "yes" vote, and Cooper’s request would have been approved even if Robinson had voted against it.

Robinson previously voted to approve some of Cooper’s emergency declaration requests, including in January ahead of severe winter weather and in August ahead of Hurricane Debby. It’s unclear why he didn’t respond to Cooper’s Helene request.

When asked Tuesday why he didn’t vote to approve the declaration, Robinson’s state office issued a statement that didn’t address last week’s vote. Krishana Polite, Robinson’s chief of staff, said he’s been traveling to some of the areas affected by the storm.

“All hands on deck means just that, including the hands of every single elected official in this state,” Polite said in a statement on Tuesday. “We need to be boots on the ground, working to rescue the citizens of this state-just as Lieutenant Governor Robinson and his team have been doing 24/7 for days now.”

Asked again Wednesday why he didn’t vote, after this article had been published, Robinson was again asked why he didn't vote for the resolution.

“I don't even need to cover why," he told reporters. "… That vote was going to pass with or without my vote. So it was absolutely inconsequential.”

He then pointed the finger at Cooper again. “His response to this storm has been abysmal,” Robinson said. “And the questions need to be directed at the individual who has not properly responded to the people of Western North Carolina, not to some vote.”

Robinson’s non-vote could also be a reflection of recent upheaval in his state office. Robinson’s former chief of staff and three other members of the lieutenant governor’s state government staff last week said they would resign following a CNN report that said Robinson made racist and lewd comments on a pornographic website more than a decade ago. The exodus was brewing as Helene approached the state.

Robinson has denied the allegations in the CNN report and says he has hired a law firm to investigate them. Meanwhile, some prominent North Carolina Republicans are calling on him to substantiate his denials or leave the race. Cooper, who is term-limited and supports Democrat Josh Stein in the gubernatorial race, has called Robinson “the wrong choice for North Carolina.”

Polls show Stein with a double-digit lead, buoyed by attack ads that elevate Robinson’s history of controversial comments. A poll released Monday by East Carolina University showed Stein with a 17-point lead in the race. Republican support for Robinson has dropped by 20 percentage points since August, according to the poll, which was taken after the CNN report was published.

In the aftermath of Helene, Robinson has had to strike a delicate balance — looking like a responsive leader in his official role without looking like he’s trying to use the storm as a campaign prop, all while trying to breathe new life into his campaign. He hasn’t always stuck the landing, according to some voters.

Robinson arrived in western North Carolina on Saturday, a Robinson campaign spokesman said. On Friday, he attended a series of campaign events across the state — despite the stormy conditions. He resumed some campaign events on Saturday, even after being treated for second-degree burns suffered at a truck show in Mount Airy on Friday.

In a social media post Sunday, Robinson said his office was “working to mobilize assets and assistance immediately.”

“I am urging Governor Cooper to deploy as many National Guardsmen as possible,” he said in the post. “The need for human and mechanical resources cannot be understated.”

He has since published a series of posts with pictures of himself meeting with local law enforcement, speaking with volunteers, surveying wreckage, and helping National Guard personnel move cases of bottled water. Cooper has posted similarimages.

While Robinson is in the field collecting resources for western North Carolina, his staff in the lieutenant governor’s office is keeping track of state boards he sits on — an effort that has led to misunderstandings. During a State Board of Education meeting Wednesday, members were asked to vote on a motion to enter a closed session. Polite, the lieutenant governor’s new chief of staff, had dialed into the meeting. When she tried to cast a vote, she was told she wasn’t allowed to do so on Robinson’s behalf.

Robinson’s campaign, meanwhile, has sent text messages to some North Carolina voters mired in the aftermath. Holden Hunter, a 29-year-old Asheville resident, received one Monday morning.

“Holden, you are not alone,” the message said. “Western North Carolina has been hit hard. We are working urgently to get food, water, and emergency care to every single person in need. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort. We are not giving up, and neither should you. Make no mistake: this remains a crisis situation. My team and I have been on the ground working around the clock to get the people of western NC what they need. Please stay strong. I am praying for you, and I am with you. We will get through this — together.”

The text featured a photo of Robinson and a disclaimer that it was paid for by Friends of Mark Robinson — Robinson’s campaign.

Hunter, who described himself as an independent voter, said he found the text to be inappropriate given the strain on communication networks at the time.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for a political candidate to be sending campaign texts to targeted citizens in a natural disaster area, regardless of party affiliation,” Hunter said. “The text offered no helpful information and included an image, clogging up valuable cellphone bandwidth for western NC citizens.”

‘Working around the clock’

Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for the Robinson campaign, described the campaign texts as a public service announcement “that has been utilized to connect with citizens in need.”

“Lt. Gov. Robinson’s team has executed dozens of rescue missions via local and privately owned aircraft,” Lonergan said in an email.

“They’ve delivered hundreds of thousands of pounds of resources,” he continued. “Lt. Gov. Robinson’s entire government and campaign staff are working around the clock to assist in rescue efforts.”

Stein’s campaign said it stopped all fundraising texts and emails to western North Carolina late Friday morning. The campaign has also pivoted its volunteers toward donation drives that help bring resources to western North Carolina, Kate Frauenfelder, a spokesperson for the campaign, told WRAL.

On Sunday, while survivors of the damage in western North Carolina were digging out or searching for missing family members, Stein was at a campaign rally and fundraiser in Greensboro with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, D-NC.

Lonergan, Robinson’s spokesman, said Stein’s choice was “disgusting.”

Stein dropped off cases of water Monday to the Red Cross donation drop-off location in Iredell County. As Attorney General, Stein’s primary role during natural disasters is protecting consumers from price gouging. Stein spoke during a press conference with Cooper on Tuesday morning, saying he’s investigating about 70 price gouging complaints in western North Carolina.

Lately, Robinson hasn’t enjoyed the benefit of standing next to party leaders.

Republicans have distanced themselves from Robinson since the CNN report came out. Former President Donald Trump, who regularly appeared with Robinson in recent years, hasn’t shared the stage with him in over a month.

The Republican Governors Association has said it has no plans to fund more ads on Robinson’s behalf — notable since it had been thought to be putting more money into advertising than Robinson’s own campaign had.

“Folks, our team is not going anywhere,” Robinson said Monday. “The road ahead is a long one, but we are ready.”

On Tuesday, a group of Republicans including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy and David Rouzer, and state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler surveyed the damage in western North Carolina.

Robinson wasn’t among them. Moments before the delegation was scheduled to brief the media, Robinson posted a video of himself boarding a privately-owned plane with cargo purportedly bound for western North Carolina.

At his news conference on Wednesday, Robinson said he has been working in tandem with Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White to collect and distribute resources from a warehouse in Louisburg. Robinson said he partnered with White to deliver resources he didn’t see being provided by the state.

Reporters asked Robinson to clarify whether he called the press conference to speak in his official capacity as lieutenant governor, or as a gubernatorial candidate.

“A campaign for what? To help the people in western North Carolina? That's what this is a campaign for,” Robinson said.

“This is a campaign to bring relief to the people of North Carolina,” he said. “This is not about politics. This is not about running for any office.”

WRAL reporter Lora Lavigne contributed to this report.