Republican gubernatorial nominee Clayton Williams apologized for comparing inclement weather on his west Texas ranch to a woman being raped, saying the remark had been "insensitive."
Williams, who received more than 60 percent of the vote during the GOP primary earlier this month, was discussing the weather with reporters who had joined him Saturday on the ranch for a cattle roundup in Alpine.Comparing the cold drizzle with rape, Williams said, "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it."
Later Saturday he said the remark was a "joke" and not "a serious statement" and on Sunday issued a statement saying, "I feel just terrible about this. I had no intention in my heart to hurt anyone, especially those women who have been traumatized by rape. Looking back, I realize it was insensitive and had no place at the campfire or in any setting."
Williams and his wife, Modesta, both said later they thought it was unfair for reporters to quiz the candidate on the rape remark because it was intended as a joke.
The remark comes on the heels of another controversial statement Williams made earlier in the week while in Washington. Williams said he would be uncomfortable running against a woman - if state Treasurer Ann Richards is the Democratic nominee - because he grew up in a "male world."