Embattled Bernalillo County Republican chairman Fernando C de Baca resigned Thursday over remarks that leaders of both parties called racially insensitive.

"The media sideshow which has developed, due to remarks taken totally out of context, has created a media spectacle of major proportions," C de Baca said in an interview posted on radio newsman Peter St. Cyr's audio blog. He said it was necessary to resign "to get the focus back on the campaigns."

C de Baca last week was quoted in a British Broadcasting Corp. News blog saying Hispanics would not back Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. "The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors. African-Americans came here as slaves. Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president."

In another BBC interview, C de Baca said older Hispanics won't support Obama "primarily because there is a strong feeling that African Americans during the civil-rights movement took advantage, full advantage, of all the benefits and programs that the government offered, that were supposed to be offered to all minorities. But we were left behind. We were left sucking air. And we resented that ever since the '60s, and I don't see how a black president is going to change that."

Major state Republican leaders including U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce and state chairman Allen Weh had called on C de Baca to step down. However, earlier this week, C de Baca's executive board gave him a vote of confidence.

After the resignation, Weh issued a statement praising C de Baca's work for the party, adding: "We are glad this matter has been resolved and wish him well."

E. Lena Brown, NAACP chapter president in Albuquerque, told The Associated Press on Thursday, "His remarks were degrading and inflammatory. He's trying to create a divide between African Americans and Hispanics and our state's cultural heritage."

Ryan Cangiolosi, treasurer of the county party, will take over as chairman.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.