Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) on Monday said he regretted commenting on Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst’s looks.
“I shouldn’t have said those things, I know that,” Harkin said in a statement, according to Buzzfeed. “I regret anytime someone feels offended by what I have said. But I am only human and I can make mistakes sometimes in how I say something. In fact, I have complimented her on running a very good campaign.”
During an event last week, Harking compared Ernst to pop star Taylor Swift while commenting on the race to fill his seat in the Senate.
“You know, in this Senate race, I’ve been watching some of these ads,” he said. “And there’s sort of this sense that, ‘Well, I hear so much about Joni Ernst. She’s really attractive, and she sounds nice.'”
Ernst on Monday said she found the comment offensive and sexist.
“I think it’s unfortunate that he and many of their party believe that you can’t be a real woman if you’re conservative and you’re female,” she said in an interview with “Fox and Friends.” “If my name had been John Ernst attached to my resume, Sen. Harkin would not have said those things.”
