Adrienne Foster

Kansas Democrats on Wednesday began circulating an online petition demanding that the executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission resign over her endorsement of Donald Trump for president.

But Gov. Sam Brownback’s spokeswoman said Adrienne Foster was speaking as a private citizen when she made comments supporting Trump to a Kansas City Star reporter and there is no reason for her to step down.

Spokeswoman Eileen Hawley also said that Foster “no longer endorses Mr. Trump. She now endorses Mr. (Texas Sen. Ted) Cruz.” But she added that Foster has not made a public announcement of her support for Cruz.

The controversy was ignited by a piece published March 3 by Star columnist Steve Kraske, who had taken to Facebook to find Trump supporters and get them to explain their support. Foster was one of many people, both for and against Trump, who responded.

Trump has stirred controversy on several fronts during his presidential campaign, but he has been a particular lightning rod in the Hispanic community for his derogatory statements about Mexican immigrants and his call for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to keep illegal immigrants out.

“As the leader of the KHLAAC, endorsing a man who has referred to Hispanics and Latinos as drug dealers, killers, criminals, and rapists — and who boasts of building a border wall between the United States and Mexico — is irresponsible, unthinkable, and entirely unacceptable,” the Kansas Democratic Party said in an email distributed by Rep. Louis Ruiz of Kansas City, the assistant House minority leader.

The Journal-World tried to reach out to Foster for comment, but those questions were referred to the governor’s communications director for response.

“Adrienne is entitled to free speech,” Hawley said. “She shared her personal opinion on her personal time in her personal capacity, and she has a right to do that.”

“Americans have freedom of speech and she didn’t relinquish that by becoming a state employee,” she continued. “This shouldn’t be an issue here.”