A campaign staffer for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna who sent tweets months ago making fun of Asians and the elderly has resigned.

Randy Pepple, McKenna's campaign manager, said that Kathlyn Ehl had been suspended without pay after the campaign learned of the tweets on Monday, and that her resignation was accepted Wednesday.

Ehl sent one tweet in November, and another in January, both before she started with the campaign. The November tweet criticized elderly people for taking too long to cross the street. The January one read: "shut up and speak english (hash)asians."

Ehl apologized in an email to The Seattle Times, which in an editorial on Tuesday wrote she should be fired.

Pepple said that the decision for Ehl to resign came after a meeting had been arranged for Ehl to talk with McKenna's Asian American Coalition and Seattle Steering Committee leaders.