KENANSVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson had high praise for his new campaign staff after several key members resigned in the wake of a scandal. Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor, spoke about his new staff during a campaign stop in Duplin County on Friday. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate claims Hurricane Helene was made to ‘keep Mark Robinson from that governorship’ "They said my entire campaign staff quit," Robinson told supporters. "We're better off for it, folks. The people they were replaced with are far better than they are. They have our team motivated. They have them moving forward. We're doing things we should have been doing the whole time we've been in this campaign. "They're taking the cuffs off our campaign," he continued. "They released us. They've gotten us back to where we need to be. And where we need to be, folks, is down here with the people." The previous campaign staffers resigned in September after a CNN report linked Robinson to several offensive comments on a pornographic website, which included calling himself "a Black Nazi". Robinson has denied making the comments. Following the resignations, Robinson called his campaign "stronger than ever", a sentiment he shared Wednesday during a stop in Durham. He also hinted at a lawsuit against CNN during the stop. The latest CBS 17/Emerson College/The Hill poll shows Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein leading Robinson by 16 points, 50% to 34%, in the governor's race. The previous poll, conducted prior to the CNN report, showed Stein leading Robinson by eight points, 48% to 40%.