Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly's Senate race against Mike Braun is one of the closest in the country, though polls have shown Braun with a narrow lead in the weeks since Donnelly voted against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. | AP Photo/Darron Cummings, Pool Elections Donnelly tries to clean up diversity gaffe

Vulnerable Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly is seeking to clean up awkward comments he made on the diversity of his staff, saying on Wednesday that he "misspoke" when describing the race of his aides.

In a debate on Tuesday, Donnelly touted two of his staffers to show how diverse his staff is but used phrasing that drew criticism from Republicans.


"Our state director is Indian American, but he does an amazing job. Our director of all constituent services, she's African American. But she does an even more incredible job than you could ever imagine. It isn't the race or religion, it's the incredible person that they are," Donnelly said. "But at the same time: They have to have a chance, they have to have an opportunity. And that's my responsibility, and I've done it in every office I've had. And I've done it in every campaign I've had."

High-profile Republicans blasted the remarks, though GOP opponent Mike Braun has not commented on the issue. Donald Trump Jr. called Donnelly's remarks "thinly veiled racism." The National Republican Senatorial Committee said Donnelly's comments are "exactly the type of gaffe he couldn’t afford to make a week out from Election Day."

A low-key lawmaker not prone to making spontaneous comments, Donnelly said his phrasing was a mistake and attacked Braun for supporting a lawsuit to scuttle Obamacare.

Morning Score newsletter Your guide to the permanent campaign — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

"I misspoke. I meant to say 'and' instead of 'but.' That would have communicated what I have tried to do my entire life: that I make a habit to seek out and promote people of color for both my campaign and official staff," Donnelly said. "Let's talk about substance. Last night, my opponent claimed he didn't back a lawsuit to undermine pre-existing conditions when, in fact, he's been vocal in his support of it since this summer. Even the voters born at night weren't born last night, and Hoosiers can tell who's going to stand up for them."

Donnelly's Senate race against Braun is one of the closest in the nation, though polls have shown Braun has enjoyed a narrow lead in the weeks since Donnelly voted against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Still, Donnelly may get a boost this weekend when former President Barack Obama campaigns for him in Gary, which is near Obama's adopted hometown of Chicago.