Sen. Mark Kirk apologizes for mocking opponent’s heritage during debate

Republican Sen. Mark Kirk apologized Friday for making a controversial remark about his Democratic opponent’s family heritage.

Kirk, R-Ill., regarded as the most vulnerable Republican senator seeking re-election, tweeted "Sincere apologies to an American hero, Tammy Duckworth, and gratitude for her family’s service."

During a debate Thursday between Kirk and Rep. Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois Democrat touted her military service and mentioned that her family’s military history dates back to the American Revolutionary War.

Kirk mocked Duckworth’s comments, saying "I had forgotten your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington."

Duckworth, who lost both her legs when her helicopter was shot down during the Iraq War in 2004, was born to a Thai mother and an American father who was a U.S. Marine who traced his family’s military roots back to the battle for U.S. independence.

Democrats quickly demanded an apology from Kirk. But his campaign issued a statement Thursday that didn’t include one.

Kirk, who suffered a massive stroke in 2012 that left him partially paralyzed on his left side and affected his speech, has a history of making inflammatory statements.

He referred to President Barack Obama ad "drug dealer in chief" after the U.S. paid Iran $400 million linked to the release of American prisoners there. He jokingly called Sen. Lindsey Graham, who’s a bachelor, "a bro with no ho."

During an editorial debate earlier this month, Kirk conceded that he has "been too quick to turn a phrase."

While Democrats and others fumed over Kirk’s Thursday remark Donald Trump’s campaign manager gloated over the senator’s latest gaffe.

Kirk was one of the first congressional lawmakers to withdraw his support for Trump after the GOP presidential nominee disparaged the impartiality of an East Chicago-born judge of Mexican heritage.

"The same Mark Kirk that unendorsed his party’s presidential nominee and called him out in paid ads?" Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway tweeted. "Gotcha. Good luck."

He’s among a half dozen Republican incumbents whose races will determine whether their party retains control of the Senate. Republicans lose power if they lose four seats and Hillary Clinton wins the White House; five if Trump wins.

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Sen. Mark Kirk apologizes for mocking opponent’s heritage during debate."