Washington ( CNN ) Ann Romney , the wife of former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney , condemned South Carolina Gov . Nikki Haley 's Democratic challenger after he mistakenly called her a `` whore '' — and then chuckled . `` When I first heard about it , it hit me right in my gut , '' Romney said in a Monday phone interview with CNN . `` My nerve endings went haywire . It 's so upsetting when you know someone can say something like that about a woman , and not have any kind of reaction . It 's so unacceptable . Nikki is a great girl and has been a great governor . '' The Democrat , Vincent Sheheen , made the comment at a campaign event late last week in Florence . In the midst of attacking Haley 's education record , Sheheen stumbled over his words and told the crowd , `` We are going to escort whore out the door . '' The slip-of-the-tongue was clearly accidental , and Sheheen immediately corrected himself , saying , `` We 're going to escort her out the door . '' But when some in the audience picked up on the verbal faux pas and started applauding , Sheheen grinned and laughed along with people in the crowd . Video of the event went viral . Sheheen apologized for the moment in a radio interview on Monday . `` But if anybody heard , and certainly my words were garbled ... I apologize because I do n't want to send that message to anybody , '' he said , according to The State newspaper . Haley leads Sheheen by double digits in recent polling and is expected to win a second term next week . Romney , who came to know Haley during the 2012 presidential campaign when she was one of the Mitt Romney 's top GOP supporters , said she spoke to the governor by phone about the flare-up . Romney said the incident is discouraging to women who want to be in the political arena . Haley , she noted , weathered attacks on her personal life and her Indian-American heritage in past campaigns . `` We need to make sure we have a safe place so that other women can feel like they can do this and these kinds of things are n't going to happen to them , '' Romney said . `` You get so sick of saying there is bias out there , but if a Republican had said this , it would be blowing up in their face like nobody 's business . Where is EMILY 's List ? Where is N.O.W. ? Where are they ? '' Romney aides made her available for an interview on Sheheen 's comments . Her remarks come amid heightened interest in whether her husband will launch a third bid for the White House . She said the family has no timeline for making a decision . `` A lot of people are talking about it , but honestly Mitt and I are n't , '' Romney said . `` Mitt has been very clear . Events may change . We do n't see them changing . But you are never going to say never . Right now we are looking to see these other candidates come forward . '' Ann Romney still done with 2016 , but never say never . She offered a larger critique of the so-called Republican `` war on women '' — a campaign strategy that Democrats used to devastating effect against Romney in 2012 . Romney argued that the message has lost its potency in 2014 , though Democrats say women 's issues have kept them in the hunt in several tight Senate races from Colorado to North Carolina . `` People are saying , this is n't working anymore , '' Romney said . `` It was a ploy in the last election . I think they thought it was effective , and they are trying again this cycle . But I hope the electorate is getting tired of these broad brush statements that work on people 's emotions , that are inaccurate , that try to marginalize one candidate or another . I get even more upset when I see other women trying to use these tactics and approaches . We have to be better than that . '' Romney said women voters care about a broad array of issues — national security , the economy , education — beyond just social issues like abortion rights and access to contraception .
Ann Romney is slamming a slur uttered by a Democratic candidate for South Carolina governor . Romney to CNN : `` It hit me right in my gut : . Romney did n't say whether her husband would run for president again .