After secretly being recorded saying racist comments about black Democratic candidates, Republican Douglas County Commission Chairman in Georgia, Tom Worthan, apologized and claims he was talking as “a politician, trying to say what I needed to say to get a vote.”

According to the local news station Fox 5 Atlanta, Worthan claims he’s not a racist, but thought the man he was speaking with was. He was actually talking to a local resident named Mark Dodd, who has voiced his support for Tim Pounds and Romona Jackson Jones, both black Democratic candidates.

When Dodd questioned Worthan about his thoughts of what would happen if Pounds were to win the election this fall, Worthan expressed concern that Pound would put “a bunch of blacks in leadership positions.” He also claimed that these “black brother” would be “not qualified” for the job they will be appointed to.

Worthan also insisted that African-Americans always “bankrupt” communities whenever they gain control of an elected office, which would force white people to “pack up and get out of here.”

Yet, Worthan claims that he isn’t really a racist.

“I have many black friends, Hispanic friends and no, this is something that I should not have said. I certainly apologize to anybody that I might have hurt their feelings,” he said. “That’s not the way I feel.”