Vernon Robinson

Vernon Lucius Robinson (born 1955) is a former US Air Force Captain, conservative political activist, former candidate for U.S. Congress, and a former City Council member of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process, Robinson was the campaign director of the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee.

Robinson was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1977 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. After serving as a nuclear missile launch commander he left the Air Force having attained the rank of Captain. While in the Air Force, Robinson earned an MBA from the University of Missouri. He moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina with his wife Helene. There he taught business administration at Winston-Salem State University.

Robinson's campaigns for office have included runs for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction (1996), state Senate (1998), state House of Representatives (2002), U.S. Congress (2004, 5th District, NC), Chair of the NC Republican Party (2005), and U.S. Congress (2006, 13th District, NC). He served two terms on Winston-Salem's City Council as one of only two Republicans. In 2005 he was defeated by Democrat Molly Leight, garnering 922 votes against her 1,665.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Robinson crusaded for school choice legislation as a measure to improve North Carolina public schools. As president of an education reform foundation, he authored articles on the topic, which were published in non-partisan public policy digests.

Robinson was a candidate in the 2004 primary for the Republican nomination for North Carolina's 5th congressional district. He placed first in the July 20 primary before losing a runoff in August; the seat was being vacated by Richard Burr.

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