Iowa Politics tried to elide the difference but ... only Cindy Golding says she will support a marriage amendment that allows the people of Iowa to decide. Liz Mathis, the Democrat, says no way she'll trust the voters on this:

Both candidates in the high-profile Iowa Senate District 18 race were reluctant Wednesday to answer questions about same-sex marriage, a hot topic likely to be on the minds of voters in the special election that will determine control of the Iowa Senate.

Liz Mathis, a former television news anchor from Robins [...] officially became the Democratic candidate in the race Wednesday night.

Cindy Golding, a businesswoman from rural Cedar Rapids who’s the Republican candidate in Iowa Senate District 18, told IowaPolitics.com that Iowans deserve to have a vote on the issue, but declined to shed light on her personal beliefs about same-sex marriage.