Controversial comments from one of the top Republican candidates for governor is creating a potential firestorm in the GOP primary.

The comments from Jim Pillen, first broadcast statewide by News Channel Nebraska, find fellow Republican statehouse hopeful Theresa Thibodeau, all but calling for Pillen to drop out of the race.

Asked last week how his campaign differs from Charles Herbster's bid for governor, Pillen made what Thibodeau calls an attack on Nebraskans without spouses or children.

Herbster's wife died several years ago, the couple did not have any children.

Pillen: Suzanne and I have been raising children for 40 years we have a family and seven grand babies. If you don't have a family it doesn't make you a bad person but it's a distinct, significant difference in how you view life when there's more to the world than just you.

Today Thibodeau erupted, “Jim Pillen's outlandish attack against Nebraskans without living spouses or children should disgust everyone...Divisive comments like this should disqualify any Republican candidate."

[View Pillen's comments and more from Thibodeau above]

So far we haven't heard from Herbster.

At one time in the campaign Thibodeau was Herbster's running mate, but she left the ticket and launched her own bid for governor.