Republican candidates for Illinois governor ripped into President Barack Obama's health care reform push at a Thursday debate, with at least one calling it "socialist" and all but one vowing to pull the state out of a public insurance plan if it becomes law.

Of the seven candidates, only former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan says he isn't certain if he would support taking the state out of a public option insurance plan if the law allowed it.

Ryan, who officially entered the race just this week, did blast the Obama's plan as "too costly" and said he hopes it doesn't pass Congress.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale went as far Thursday night as to call Obama's health insurance reform "socialist." Dillard has taken heat in his party for appearing in a presidential primary ad supporting Obama.

"I will be dammed if I'm going to let a socialistic Washington shove a new mandate down the down the taxpayers throats," said the veteran DuPage County politician.

At least two candidates, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington and conservative commentator Dan Proft, a Wheaton native now living in Chicago, said they would take the federal government to court to get Illinois out of a public option.

"It is time someone slapped the hands of federal government," said Brady, now in his second run for governor.

The attack on Obama's health care push came during the first official Illinois Republican Party debate with all seven GOP primary candidates for governor in attendance. Republicans see next year as their best shot in a decade at winning back the governor's mansion given the arrest and ouster of Democrat Rod Blagojevich and constant calls for income tax hikes from the ruling party.

While health care underscored were most of the Republicans agreed, an early question about how they would ensure Illinois residents can be safe in light of Thursday's shootings at Texas' Fort Hood brought out a range of responses.

Hinsdale businessman Adam Andrzejewski used the question to underscore his plan to keep illegal immigrants out of Illinois.

"One of the security issues we face is our immigration policy in Illinois," he said. "We can take steps to defend the border right here in Illinois."

Meanwhile, Brady said that violence, along with last year's shootings at Northern Illinois University, illustrate the need to allow the concealed carry of guns in the state. He said the law would "help to respond to incidents like this."

On other topics, all of the candidates focused on budget cutting as the way to solve the state's budget crisis that Democrats are pushing tax hikes to solve.

They all want a top-to-bottom review of state spending to weed out waste and corruption.

Proft, Ryan, Brady, former Illinois GOP Chairman Andy McKenna and DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom of Naperville singled out Medicaid - the state's health care safety net for the poor - for major reform and funding cuts.

Most candidates also supported lifting caps on charters schools and granting waivers or vouchers for parents who want to send children to private schools. Ryan said it is "time to take a look at vouchers."

For such a wide field of candidates, there was relatively little bomb throwing.

Party Chairman Pat Brady of St. Charles has urged the candidates to stay civil and he has personally taken on a roll as campaign referee in attempts to prevent deep party division that could jeopardize a general race in such a Democratic-leaning state.

The winner of the Feb. 2 GOP primary will go on to face a Democrat and a Green Party candidate in the general election, set for Nov. 2. Gov. Pat Quinn of Chicago is running for election on the Democratic side against Comptroller Dan Hynes of Chicago, Oak Park attorney Ed Scanlan and Chicago businessman William Walls.