A white county commissioner in Kansas resigned on Tuesday after an outcry over his use of the term “master race” in a discussion with a black consultant at a public meeting last week.

The commissioner, Louis Klemp of Leavenworth County, made the comments to Triveece Penelton, who works for an architecture and design company, during a land-use meeting on Nov. 13.

According to a video recording, Mr. Klemp said to Ms. Penelton: “I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you because we’re part of the master race. You know you’ve got a gap in your teeth. You’re the master race. Don’t ever forget that.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Klemp wrote that he regretted the comment.

“My attempts at identifying a similarity (space between our teeth) with a presenter were well-meaning but misinterpreted by some and definitely not racially motivated,” he wrote.