BARRINGTON — A local state representative has surrendered his seat following continuing pressure to resign after making inflammatory comments to an agent of a local nonprofit.

BARRINGTON — A local state representative has surrendered his seat following continuing pressure to resign after making inflammatory comments to an agent of a local nonprofit.



A public backlash followed the comments of 91-year-old freshman state representative Martin Harty, of Barrington, who said last week funding for the mentally ill should be cut because he doesn't support state funding for "the crazy people" who should be sent to "Siberia."



Harty said in his resignation letter Monday that he was sorry his "big mouth caused this furor." He said with all the "slightly unfavorable publicity" he couldn't be effective.



"Representative Harty came to my office today to offer his resignation in person," said House Speaker William O'Brien in a statement released Monday. "We both agreed that this is what is best for the House to move forward and focus on critical issues, like balancing our budget without raising taxes and giving the voters an opportunity to pass a school funding amendment to ensure local control. We will move quickly to request a special election to fill this vacancy."



Harty's letter of resignation will be read on the House floor Tuesday, at which point his seat will become vacant.



NH GOP Chairman Jack Kimball released the following statement regarding Harty's resignation.



"I am pleased Mr. Harty acknowledged his comments were not appropriate for a legislator and I am satisfied with his decision to resign. He failed to represent the sentiments of his constituents and the core values and principles of the Republican Party."



Last week Harty told Sharon Omand, a program manager at Community Partners, which provides behavioral health and developmental services for Strafford County, that he believed in eugenics and disagreed with her about the need for funds for mental health services.



"The world population has gotten too big and the world is being inherited by too many defective people," he told her.



Omand said she asked him to clarify if he meant mentally ill and developmentally disabled and he responded, "I mean all the defective people, the drug addicts, mentally ill, the retarded — all of them."



"I asked what we should do with them," Omand said, and Harty said, "I believe if we had a Siberia we should send them to this and they would all freeze and die and we will be rid of them."



Harty later confirmed his comments in an interview with Foster's Daily Democrat.