Published on July 11, 2024, 12:51 am

On Wednesday, Republicans initiated a multi-million dollar ad campaign, with their sights firmly set on the North Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Josh Stein, concerning issues of illegal immigration. The aim is to turn the traditionally “blue” state into a Republican stronghold.

The advertising campaign led by the Republican Governors Association is directed at Stein—who currently holds the post of attorney general in North Carolina—for his assertion that there are no sanctuary cities within the state. His competitor in these elections is Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, who plans to succeed Democratic Governor Roy Cooper when he departs office this November.

In an advert entitled “Weak”, Stein’s denial of the existence of sanctuary cities comes under fire by contrasting his views with statements made by Davidson County Sheriff Richie Simmons. According to Simmons, there are several counties within North Carolina that deliberately fail to cooperate with federal immigration officials. He points out instances involving multiple criminal illegal immigrants—including a sex offender—being released due to certain counties’ refusal to work alongside deportation officers.

This advertisement, set to be broadcast across cable and digital platforms alike, reveals what seems like a misrepresentation on Stein’s part where he claims ‘no sanctuary cities’ exist in North Carolina. The association contends that this contradicts reality; various counties across the state have adopted somewhat perilous stances by neglecting to cooperate with immigration authorities.

Sanctuary policies became a hot-button issue over the past year in North Carolina. Even though efforts by its Republican-dominated legislature attempted to legislate cooperation between sheriffs and federal immigration officials failed due to language disputes between House and Senate Republicans during negotiations. The proposed legislation sought for sheriffs to retain suspects awaiting requests from federal immigration authorities.

Lt. Governor Robinson previously indicated support for said legislation—asserting he would have endorsed it had it crossed his desk.

Robinson criticized his opponent’s silence on whether or not he supports this practical bill aimed at prioritizing North Carolinians’ safety and maintaining law and order within communities.

“If history serves an indicator of where Josh’s loyalties lie, then Stein’s track record strongly points to his support for those who refuse to apply the law,” said Robinson.

Based on research from the Center for Immigration Studies, several counties throughout North Carolina—including Orange, Durham, Mecklenburg, Wake, Buncombe and Forsyth—have enacted policies that hamper federal immigration authorities.

The electoral race between Robinson and Stein is anticipated to be very close. Presently, Stein possesses a razor-thin 0.2% edge in average polling data. In the midst of this contentious battle for governorship, former President Trump holds a five-point lead over President Biden in North Carolina—a state he secured victory in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

Stay tuned into real news from trusted sources such as ours–anchored in Christian worldviews–as we continue bringing you all the breaking news updates about this thrilling race for Governor in North Carolina.