OAKLAND, Calif., May 12 (UPI) -- Oakland, Calif., Republican congressional candidate Brad Goehring has posted a comment on his Facebook page suggesting liberals be hunted to "thin the herd."
Goehring, who is vying with three other Republican candidates in the June primary for California's 11th Congressional District, ignited a firestorm of controversy when his comment hit the social media site Tuesday, KTVU-TV, Oakland, reported Wednesday.
"If I could issue hunting permits, I would officially declare today opening day for liberals. The season would extend to November 2 and have no limits on how many taken, as we desperately need to 'thin' the herd," the comments read.
Tuesday evening his office said the comments were a "metaphor" and the campaign was sorry for any misunderstanding.
Republican voter Jim Freeman of Tracy saw the post Tuesday morning.
"I certainly think less of him," said Freeman. "It's not something he should share with thousands of people following him on Facebook."
