Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has vowed to remain in office despite widespread calls for his resignation after a racist photo surfaced in his yearbook page from more than 30 years ago.
Northam said at a news conference Saturday that he had prematurely apologized for appearing in a picture of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit. The photo appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook.
The Democratic governor said Saturday that he, in fact, was not in the photo and had never even seen the yearbook until Friday.
His refusal to resign signals a potentially bruising fight between Northam and his former supporters. Leaders in both parties have repeatedly urged Northam to resign, saying he’s lost the public’s trust.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper released a statement saying calling for Northam’s resignation. “This is a reprehensible picture that is deeply disappointing and I know must come with pain beyond what many of us can even understand,” said Cooper.
