Kansas Governor Calls For Resignation Of Official Who Made 'Master Race' Remarks

A county commissioner in Kansas is on the hot seat after making racist comments in a public forum. Outgoing Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer called on Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp to resign due to the incident, in which he referred to himself as a member of the “master race” while speaking to a black woman, according to Kansas City CBS affiliate KCTV-5.

Colyer, who has been governor since January and will be replaced by governor-elect Laura Kelly, said Klemp’s comments “do not reflect the values of the county which he represents.”

Klemp made the comments while speaking with a consultant from an architectural firm. She was speaking to the commission about land development in nearby Tonganoxie when Klemp expressed disagreement about the particulars of the plan, per ABC News.

"I don’t want you to think I'm picking on you because we're part of the master race,” Klemp said. “You know you got a gap in your teeth. You're the masters. Don’t ever forget that."

Klemp’s comments were roundly condemned by other Leavenworth officials. Fellow commissioner Bob Holland called Klemp a racist, according to KCTV-5. Mayor Mark Preisinger said racism is “never justified and should never be allowed.”

Leavenworth County administrator Mark Loughry said Klemp’s statement was “misconstrued” and he was joking about how both he and the consultant have gaps in their teeth, according to the Kansas City Star.

Klemp previously raised eyebrows at a meeting in late 2017, in which he called former Confederate commander Robert E. Lee a “wonderful part of history” and talked about how his family owned slaves.