Democrat Joe Garcia, who is running to recapture his former congressional seat in Florida, was secretly recorded telling supporters that Hillary Clinton "is under no illusions that you want to have sex with her, or that she's going to seduce you," the Miami Herald reports.
The remark was made over the weekend as Garcia was speaking informally in the hallway of a Key West Democratic campaign office, apparently moments before he was to give a speech.
In the secretly recorded video, Garcia said, "I believe we're about to see the most consequential presidency that we've seen since Lyndon Johnson. This is not because I think Hillary Clinton is the greatest ever. But I do believe she is extremely, exceedingly competent, and…she's going to be very similar to Lyndon Johnson.
"Lyndon Johnson wasn't a particularly charming man, wasn't a particularly nice man: He would ask you nice, and then when you didn't do it, he made you do it. And Hillary is under no illusions that you want to have sex with her, or that she's going to seduce you, or out-think you."
After one of the men in the hallway made an inaudible comment, Garcia said, "I don't want to be offensive to women. What I'm talking about is exactly that: It's getting it done. Unlike [President Barack] Obama, who has this profound sense that logic can move people."
National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Katie Martin criticized Garcia sharply in a statement, saying, "It's shameful and disgusting that Joe Garcia would describe Hillary Clinton's qualifications to serve as president in terms of whether or not he would have sexual relations with her."
When Garcia was asked by the Miami Herald to explain his comments, he said, "I believe Secretary Clinton is the most competent and qualified presidential candidate in the history of this country, man or woman.
"My comments speak to Secretary Clinton's focus on getting things done, and not on the gender stereotypes and biases women in public life are frequently subjected to."
Several hours later, Garcia issued a second statement apologizing for what he called "poorly worded comments" and explained that they "were intended to speak to Secretary Clinton's relentless focus on getting the job done, despite the unjust gender stereotypes and biases women in public life are subjected to."