Ill. Candidate Defends Antigay Vote

Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady has defended his 2005 state senate vote against the state's gay rights law and said he would cast the vote again.

Brady made the statements in an interview Thursday with the Associated Press, saying "I don't think we should have such special legislation." The law passed, and he later sponsored legislation to roll back some of its protections but was unsuccessful.

He has also proposed amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, and he opposes civil unions as well; he told the AP he would veto legislation to establish civil unions. However, he said earlier this week that he would not seek to repeal a civil unions law if it is enacted under current governor Pat Quinn, which is likely. Quinn, a Democrat and gay rights supporter, has pledged to sign the bill.

In the AP interview, despite voicing his opposition to gay equality, abortion rights, and gun control, Brady reiterated his previous assertion that he would focus on economic rather than social issues as governor. A Thursday Rasmussen Reports poll of 750 likely voters had Brady leading Quinn by 46% to 40%, with a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.