Dear Marriage Supporter,

At the Fox News presidential debate in Ames, Iowa on Thursday, Byron York of the Washington Examiner asked five of the candidates (including three of the four signers of NOM's marriage pledge!) about their views on same-sex marriage, civil unions and a federal marriage amendment.

In case you missed the debate, we've put together a short 5-minute montage of each of the candidate responses. Click here to watch.

Later today, Iowa voters will vote for their favorite candidate at the Ames Straw Poll, the first real test of the candidates' momentum and organizational support in this young 2012 presidential campaign. As our Values Voter Bus pulled into Ames last evening, we wrapped up a 5-day, 23-city tour of the State of Iowa with FRC Action and the Susan B. Anthony List, energizing social conservatives and reminding all of us to get involved in support of pro-marriage candidates.

One of the key purposes of the bus tour has been to focus attention on marriage and life issues early in this presidential campaign. Iowa voters—and especially Iowa Republicans—are overwhelmingly committed to defending marriage and life, even to the point last fall of firing three justices who forced same-sex marriage on the state. Who better to test the Republican presidential candidates on marriage?

We'll see later today who passes this first test of the 2012 campaign!

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage