The editor of the San Jose alt-weekly Metro, Dan Pulcrano, apologized Monday for saying that black Santa Clara County supervisor candidate Forrest Williams has a “slavish adherence to special interest groups,” according to CBS5 and the blog San Jose Inside.

Pulcrano made the comment in an editorial page endorsement of Williams’ opponent, Mike Wasserman.

“It was a mistake, and it was insensitive,” Pulcrano said in a media event Williams set up outside Metro’s offices in San Jose. “We apologize to Mr. Williams and to anyone we may have offended.”

“The word, which has multiple meanings, was not intended in a racial context. We have always been strong supporters of civil rights issues and will continue to be so,” Pulcrano said. “We could have easily come up with a better adjective, such as ‘enthusiastic.'”

San Jose Inside said that Pulcrano apologized and shook hands with Williams during the media event. Pulcrano said he will print an apology in the next issue of Metro and re-run the endorsement of Wasserman with the word edited out.