A Kentucky Democrat running for a judicial position is being criticized by his own party over a campaign ad that depicts a lynching.

Spencer County candidate Bobby Smith tells The Courier Journal says the ad symbolizes lynching the "Good Ol' Boy System." The ad ran in a local weekly paper this week and shows four hanging bodies that viewed together spell out "Good Ol' Boy System." It also says Smith will do what's needed to "make Spencer County great again."

The Kentucky Democratic Party rebuked Smith on Thursday, saying there's no defense for making light of lynching. Smith says the ad is about lynching a system, not people. He says he'll apologize to those offended but they "need to apologize to me for being crooked."

Spencer County is located just southeast of Louisville.