A Republican nominee for a seat in Colorado’s statehouse accused Democrats of lacking a sense of humor after he said a gay U.S. congressman would soon start beheading Christians.

“This weekend I sent out an email alert to my constituents in which I used hyperbole,” Gordon Klingenschmitt said in a video uploaded to YouTube on Monday. “You know what hyperbole is. It’s a literary device where you exaggerate to make a point. Well, apparently some Democrats do not have a sense of humor and they were offended by some of the things I said using hyperbole this weekend.”

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An email alert sent out by Klingenschmitt over the weekend stated that Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) wanted to execute Christians, reported Right Wing Watch.

“The openly homosexual Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced a revised bill to force Christian employers and business owners to hire and promote homosexuals with ZERO RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS for Christians who want to opt out.”

“Polis ‘wants sexual orientation and gender identity treated the same way as race, religion, sex, and national origin, when it comes to employment protections,’ claims the Advocate, under the headline ‘Polis trims ENDA’s religious exemption.'”

“Dr. Chaps’ comment: The open persecution of Christians is underway. Democrats like Polis want to bankrupt Christians who refuse to worship and endorse his sodomy. Next he’ll join ISIS in beheading Christians, but not just in Syria, right here in America,” the email said.

Republican and Democratic leaders in Colorado denounced the email, which was distributed less than a week after Islamic State jihadists released a video that showed the beheading of kidnapped U.S. journalist James Foley.

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In his video, Klingenschmitt admitted it was wrong to compare Polis to Islamic State extremists — even though the gay congressman was “persecuting Christian business owners here in America.”

Klingenschmitt, who won a primary election in June, hopes to replace state Rep. Mark Waller (R-Colorado Springs).

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below.