TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has fired its communications director over an online posting mocking three towns in the state’s southeast corner in crude language.

Party Executive Director Jason Perkey announced the dismissal of spokesman Dakota Loomis on Thursday.

Loomis posted a comment last week about the towns of Cherryvale, Columbus and Galena on a site dedicated to University of Kansas basketball. The since-deleted statement called them leading contenders for “most craphole small towns” in the state.

Perkey called the comment reprehensible. He said he and State Democratic Chairwoman Joan Wagnon will travel Monday to southeast Kansas to offer personal apologies.

Loomis issued a statement apologizing and saying people should not hold his comment against Kansas Democrats.

Several Republican state senators from the area had called upon Democrats to fire Loomis.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has suspended its communications director over an online posting deriding three towns in the state’s southeast corner in crude language.

State Democratic Chairman Joan Wagnon said Wednesday that party spokesman Dakota Loomis was suspended without pay until Monday, when she will re-evaluate his status.

Republican state Sens. Jeff King of Independence and Jake LaTurner of Pittsburg said Loomis should be fired over his posting about Cherryvale, Columbus and Galena. The since-deleted comment called them leading contenders for “most craphole small towns in Kansas.”

The Pittsburg Morning Sun reported that Loomis posted the comment on a site dedicated to University of Kansas basketball.

Loomis did not immediately return a cell phone message seeking comment. Wagnon and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paul Davis called the comment inappropriate.