IMG_0522.JPG

Mt. Hood Community College Board Member James Zordich (left), Board Chair Susie Jones (center) and MHCC President Debra Derr listen to Board Member George "Sonny" Yellott talk about "illegal immigration" on Wednesday, July 14, 2016. (Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)

(Andrew Theen)

Oregon House Republicans called on one of their legislative candidates Monday to withdraw from the November election and publicly apologize for posting an image on Facebook showing President Obama with a noose around his neck.

The condemnation came after George "Sonny" W. Yellott, a Republican candidate for House District 48, posted an edited picture that placed Obama's head on former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in an image from the dictator's 2006 hanging.

"George Yellott's Facebook post is absolutely abhorrent," said Preston Mann, a spokesman for Oregon House Republicans. "He should immediately remove the post, withdraw from running for office, and apologize to Oregonians for posting something so blatantly offensive and disgusting."

George "Sonny" Yellott was elected to the Mt. Hood Community College board in 2013 for a four-year term.

Mann added, "And to be clear, the House Republican political action committee has zero affiliation with Mr. Yellott, past or present."

Yellott, 76, a member of the Mt. Hood Community College Board of Directors, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

His Democratic opponent, incumbent Jeff Reardon, said the Facebook image "just makes me quite ill."

"It's just sad that he's gotten into a position to even be heard at all," said Reardon, who easily defeated Yellott in both 2012 and 2014 for House District 48, which encompasses Happy Valley and parts of East Portland. "This really makes me sad and upset."

The image shows a hooded figure behind the photo-shopped Obama placing a hangman's noose around the president's neck. Scrawled in cursive writing over the image are the words, "The Making of a National Holiday."

Yellott's Facebook page includes numerous other posts and images critical of Obama, including one purporting to be the future president, in 1998, supposedly dressed in Black Panther garb and holding a pistol.

The incident marked the second time in a week that Yellott has stirred controversy.

When the Mt. Hood Community College board met last week to discuss the failure of a May bond measure, Yellott instead wanted to talk about Brexit, the controversial IP 28 business-tax initiative, Donald Trump and illegal immigration.

Other board members appeared annoyed by Yellott's repeated attempts to shift the conversation to issues beyond the business at hand.

-- Dana Tims

503-294-7647; @DanaTims