FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2012

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Anath Hartmann at (703-683-5004)

"We intend to hold every legislator accountable for his or her vote on marriage."
—Brian Brown, NOM's president—

Olympia, WA — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's leading pro-marriage organization, today announced that it will spend $250,000 to help fund primary challenges to any Republican legislator who crosses the party platform and votes in favor of same-sex marriage. NOM will also work with pro-marriage grassroots organizations to ensure that the people of Washington have the chance to vote on marriage in November 2012.

"It's fairly incredible that some legislators would try to legalize homosexual marriage so soon after giving same-sex couples all the rights and privileges of marriage through Domestic Partnerships. This effort proves that the question is not one of rights but preserving marriage as a child-focused institution that has served families since the dawn of time," stated Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We intend to hold every legislator accountable for his or her vote on marriage. Any Republican who votes to redefine marriage can count on funding of a primary challenge to them. All legislators need to know that the same-sex marriage lobby wants to destroy the institution of marriage, redefining not just marriage, but also 'husband,' 'wife,' 'mother,' and 'father.'"

NOM has helped mount successful election challenges to countless legislators who supported same-sex marriage in places like Minnesota, New Hampshire, Maine, California and New York. The group is particularly effective at ending the careers of Republican officials who abandon marriage. For example, NOM is responsible for defeating U.S. Senate candidates Bill Binnie in New Hampshire and Tom Campbell in California, as well as removing sitting state legislators in multiple states.

"In New Hampshire NOM worked with grassroots organizations to flip the state legislature there after liberal democrats legalized same-sex marriage in 2009. NOM played in 119 house races and won all of them. As a result, the New Hampshire legislature is now poised to restore the rightful definition of marriage in the coming weeks," explained Brown. "Our work in Minnesota and Maine also helped deliver a pro-marriage majority to both states. Minnesota will vote on a pro-marriage amendment in 2012 thanks to a bi-partisan majority of legislators in both houses."

NOM will also work to make sure that, if the State Legislature legalizes same-sex marriage, the people of Washington have the right to vote on it and repeal the work of the legislature.

"In 31 states the people have had the right to vote on marriage and every time the people have voted to protect the definition of marriage as one man and one woman. The people of Washington State deserve the same right. If the legislature forces through same-sex marriage, they need to know that marriage will be on the ballot in November and the people of Washington will hold them accountable," stated Brown.

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, [email protected], (x130) or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], (x105) at 703-683-5004.

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