GOP choices for Governor down to 3 - Folwell, Robinson, and Graham | Eastern North Carolina Now

Republicans will have three choices for governor, as two major candidates who were in the race earlier are not running.  Former Congressman Mark Walker switched races to run for Congress again, and former state Senator Andy Wells did not file.

The choices include one establishment RINO and two candidates with more conservative credentials.

The establishment RINO is wealthy trial lawyer Bill Graham, who is endorsed by ultra-RINO Sen. Thom Tillis (Tillis was censured earlier this year by the NC Republican State Convention for numerous leftwing votes in the Senate).  Graham's campaign is being run by liberal Republican consultant Paul Shumaker, who is also TIllis' consultant.  Graha;m has a history of supporting the climate boondoggle, being an active supporter of expensive and unreliable wind and solar electricity.

The two candidates with conservative credentials are two term State Treasurer Dale Folwell and one term Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson.

Folwell has a long conservative record of getting things done, first as a solidly conservative member of the NC House, and Speaker Pro Tem, then as  Chairman of the NC Employment Security Commission where he got that agency out of a staggering debt to the federal government with some aggressive policy changes, and more recently as our State Treasurer.  As Treasurer, Folwell has a record of  fearlessly taking on the special interests to get a better deal for citizens.  As Treasurer, Folwell has a seat on the State Board of Education, where he has actively opposed wokeness in our schools.  As a member of the Council of State, Folwell opposed Governor Cooper's lockdown executive orders.

Folwell's weaknesses are than he is a plain spoken public speaker and due to his battles with special interests, he has to rely on ordinary citizens for his campaign money.  In spite of those weaknesses, Folwell has been a strong votegetter in statewide races and gets a significant crossover vote.

Robinson came to prominence as a result of a speech against gun control that he gave to his county commission that went viral on the internet, which propelled him into the Lt. Governor's chair, as NC's first black lieutenant governor.  He has proven to be an extremely eloquent public speaker in prepared speeches pushing the conservative agenda, and he is in demand all over the country.  The major policy issue that Robinson engaged in early in his term was fighting a radical Social Studies curriculum  for the public schools.

Robinson's weaknesses include that he has proven very inept at organizing a staff even for the relatively small staff in the lieutenant governor's office, and that bodes ill for the ability to staff an entire administration.  While an eloquent speaker with prepared remarks, Robinson as not been as adept in speaking off the cuff, and has even refused to participate in GOP primary debates.  Other than his early battle on the school social studies curriculum, Robinson has been MIA on major issues coming before the legislature, where he is presiding officer of the State Senate, taking a powder on such major issues as casinos, marijuana, gun rights, the Green New Deal, a huge Democrat-designed slush fund, and the Obamacare Medicaid expansion.  Robinson has also compiled a record of frequently failing to show up for work for his duties like presiding over the senate and attending state Board of Education meetings.  Up to this point, however, Robinson eloquent speaking ability has carried him in the polls.

Conservative voters should pay close attention to the details on Folwell and Robinson and choose the one who will make both the strongest candidate and the most effective  and conservative governor.  Graham is NOT a candidate for conservatives, although his liberal consultant is working hard to try to pass him off as one.