YARMOUTH (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has apologized to a black father for his previous racially charged comments, drawing applause from the crowd at a town hall meeting.
Garrett Stewart told the white Republican governor Wednesday in Yarmouth that criticism of civil rights leader John Lewis and comments about black drug dealers coming to Maine were hurtful to his children.
LePage responded by saying, “I apologize to you and your children.”
The self-described straight-talking governor faced widespread criticism last year when he said out-of-state black and Hispanic drug dealers were coming to Maine and impregnating “young, white” girls.
He has said he meant to say “Maine women.”
LePage also insulted Lewis after the Democratic Georgia congressman questioned the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s election, and the governor rejected a call from the NAACP to apologize.
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