Loretta Sanchez's Campaign In Serious Damage Control Mode

Loretta Sanchez's campaign is already in serious damage control mode. She just announced her run for U.S. Senate a few days ago, and now the Democratic candidate is apologizing for what some people are calling a racist gesture against Native Americans.

On Thursday in front of an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, Sanchez made it official, announcing her run for U.S. Senate. Two days later, a video surfaced where she was speaking to members of the Indian-American caucus. It shows Sanchez making an inappropriate gesture while she was telling reporters a story about how she was confused between Native Americans and Indian Americans.

Sanchez is campaigning against Attorney General Kamala Harris for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barbara Boxer. Harris, who is part Indian, was told of the incident and called it "shocking" saying there's no place for that in our public discourse.

Sanchez responded by saying, "So in this crazy and exciting rush of meetings yesterday, I said something offensive, and for that I sincerely apologize." She also pointed out that she herself is proudly Native American on her mother's side.

Political watchers say Sanchez has an uphill battle against Harris, especially when it comes to campaign financing. As of the end of March, Harris had $2.5 million in funds compared to Sanchez with $540,000.