'Keep Marysville white': Woman running for council shocks forum in US
Jean Cramer says the Bible backs her beliefs, and later added: "Husband and wife need to be the same race. Same thing with kids."
A US city council candidate has shocked a a public forum
after saying she wants to keep her community white "as much as
possible".
Jean Cramer, who is one of five candidates running for Marysville's city council in Michigan, denied being a racist following her comments.
Responding to a question about whether the city should do more to attract foreign-born residents, she said: "Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible.
"White. Seriously. In other words, no foreign-born, no foreign people."
Other candidates gasped at Ms Cramer's response and local leaders have called for her to withdraw from the race.
Speaking to The Times Herald in Port Huron, Cramer stood by her comments and said the Bible backs her beliefs.
"Husband and wife need to be the same race. Same thing with kids,"
she said. "That's how it's been from the beginning of, how can I say,
when God created the heaven and the earth.
"He created Adam and Eve at the same time. But as far as me being against blacks, no I'm not."
The city of Marysville, which is 55 miles northeast of Detroit, is more than 90% white.
"As far as I know, as long as we've been here, Marysville has been a white community, a white city," Ms Cramer said.
"If we have seen a black person here and there, whatever, we're not bothered by it. I'm not bothered by it."
The town's acting mayor, Kathleen Hayman, said she was "shocked and upset" by Ms Cramer's comments.
"My son-in-law is a black man and I have bi-racial grandchildren and I take this very, very personally," she told Ms Cramer at the forum.
Mayor Dan Damman said he did not believe Ms Cramer was "fit to serve as an elected official in Marysville or anywhere else".
Jean Cramer, who is one of five candidates running for Marysville's city council in Michigan, denied being a racist following her comments.
Responding to a question about whether the city should do more to attract foreign-born residents, she said: "Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible.
"White. Seriously. In other words, no foreign-born, no foreign people."
Other candidates gasped at Ms Cramer's response and local leaders have called for her to withdraw from the race.
Speaking to The Times Herald in Port Huron, Cramer stood by her comments and said the Bible backs her beliefs.
"He created Adam and Eve at the same time. But as far as me being against blacks, no I'm not."
The city of Marysville, which is 55 miles northeast of Detroit, is more than 90% white.
"As far as I know, as long as we've been here, Marysville has been a white community, a white city," Ms Cramer said.
"If we have seen a black person here and there, whatever, we're not bothered by it. I'm not bothered by it."
The town's acting mayor, Kathleen Hayman, said she was "shocked and upset" by Ms Cramer's comments.
"My son-in-law is a black man and I have bi-racial grandchildren and I take this very, very personally," she told Ms Cramer at the forum.
Mayor Dan Damman said he did not believe Ms Cramer was "fit to serve as an elected official in Marysville or anywhere else".