Illinois State Senator Rickey Hendon said Monday that he won't apologize to gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady for calling him a homophobe.

At a get-out-the-vote rally Saturday, Hendon wasn't mincing his words: “I've never served with such an idiotic, racist, sexist, homophobic person in my life.”

“If you think that the minimum wage needs to be three dollars an hour, vote for Bill Brady. If you think that women have no rights whatsoever, except to have his children, vote for Bill Brady. If you think gay and lesbian people need to be locked up and shot in the head, vote for Bill Brady,” he said before introducing Governor Patrick J. Quinn.

After the rally, Quinn distanced himself from the remarks, telling reporters that he “believes in civility.”

“I disagree with people in politics, like my opponent Senator Brady,” Quinn said. “I don't engage in name calling. Never have, never will.”

In comments to the Chicago Sun-Times, Hendon, who is vying to run Chicago, said his comments were based on Brady's voting record.

“Look, I just told the truth. I know this man, and I served with him. If he can show me that he votes differently than what I said, I will apologize. But he can't say that. I know he can't.”

During a Monday appearance on the Chicago-based Cisco Cotto radio program, Hendon excluded Brady from an apology.

“On your show right now, I will apologize to the people of the state of Illinois if they were offended by what I said, but I will not apologize to Bill Brady for telling the truth about his voting record,” he told Cotto.

Illinois gay activists were alarmed in September by a New York Times survey predicting a 90.6 percent chance that Brady will defeat Quinn on November 2. The prediction by statistician Nate Silver has since been revised downward to 76.8 percent. However, Quinn was once considered a shoo-in for reelection.

Brady, a former real estate developer from downstate Bloomington, opposes any government recognition of gay couples, including civil unions and marriage, and favors placing an amendment in the Illinois Constitution banning gay marriage. He also introduced a measure, which the Legislature rejected, that would have exempted religious groups from a gay-, trans-inclusive workplace anti-discrimination law.

Quinn has said he hopes to sign a civil unions law this year.