Fears grow in North Carolina as ultra-extreme Republican eyes governor’s mansion

To Mark Robinson, gay and transgender people are "filth", homosexuality is an abominable sin, and the transgender movement is "demonic" and "full of the spirit of the antichrist".

Muslim Americans, meanwhile, are invaders, and Robinson is not afraid to dabble in antisemitism: in his mind an international cabal of Jewish financiers make up a modern-day "four horsemen of the apocalypse", who rule the banks in "every single country".

Lots of people have offensive and conspiracy-minded beliefs. But not all of them are running, as Robinson is, to be governor of North Carolina.

And to people who don't share Robinson's views, the problem is that it looks like he could win - furthering the Republican party's years-long lurch to what was previously rightwing fringe politics.

"Mark Robinson would be the most extreme gubernatorial candidate but also governor that we've ever seen in our history," said Anderson Clayton, the chair of the North Carolina Democratic party.

The risk Robinson would pose if elected in November 2024 - polling is scarce at this stage, but experts believe the race between Robinson and Josh Stein, his expected Democratic opponent, is a toss-up - is real. Republicans control both the state house and senate, and the GOP expanded its lead in last year's elections.

Roy Cooper, the Democratic governor whose tenure is forced by term limits to come to an end in 2023, has vetoed 52 bills from becoming law in his six years in office, the Assembly reported, including laws that would have rolled back gun control and reduced abortion access.