KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo County Republican Party chairman said that a mailer sent out this week that included the phone number for a Democratic candidate's mother was a "boneheaded mistake."

"This was a boneheaded mistake made by the Michigan Republican Party and we need to get to the bottom of it," David Worthams said in a statement. "Someone has a lot of explaining to do. But at the end of the day, everyone involved, even the Democrat candidate, has seen this as a mistake and not a deliberate attempt to annoy an elderly mother."

The mailers, which were paid for by the Michigan Republican Party, urge voters to call John Fisher, a candidate for the 61st District state House seat, and "Tell him hard-working Michiganders are being hurt by Obamacare and the health care policies (Democrats) support."

Fisher's campaign acknowledged it had no issue with past Republican mailers that told voters to call him at his personal number, but the candidate said Republicans took it too far by directing citizens to call Fisher at his mother's number. The number is registered under Fisher's name, but is a direct line to his mother's room at Tendercare Portage.

Fisher's mother, Isabel Kramb, is currently receiving hospice care for congestive heart failure, said Fisher's campaign manager David Topping.

"The phone number on the mailer was publicly listed under Fisher's name," Worthams said in the statement. "While I'm certain the Republican Party never sought to include Fisher's mother in this campaign, it is quite clear that Fisher will lie about and use his mother to further his own political future at every turn."

Fisher, a 64-year-old Oshtemo Township pastor, is running against Republican Kalamazoo County Commissioner Brandt Iden and Libertarian Michael Stampfler in a bid to represent the state House's 61st District, which covers the city of Portage as well as Oshtemo, Schoolcraft, Texas and Prairie Ronde townships.

Iden, 31, said in a brief statement issued Thursday that he does not condone the tactics utilized by his party in this instance.

"Obviously, as you know, it was not sent out by our campaign," Iden said. "I don't condone negative campaign tactics and it's not something my campaign has done or anticipates doing."