North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson treated for second-degree burns

Robinson was making an appearance at the Mayberry truck show in Mount Airy when he was injured, campaign spokesperson Mike Lonergan said in a statement.

Robinson was treated at Northern regional hospital in Mount Airy for second-degree burns, he added.

Robinson, the lieutenant governor since 2021, is running against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein, the current attorney general. The current governor, Roy Cooper, a Democrat, was barred by term limits from running this fall.

Robinson, who has faced criticism for other inflammatory comments, has denied writing the messages more than a decade ago and has hired a law firm to investigate.

Mount Airy, located about 100 miles (161km) north of Charlotte near the Virginia border, is where the late television star Andy Griffith grew up. The community served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show, which aired during the 1960s. City leaders have embraced that history with homages and festivals associated with the show.