Marriage Election Watch

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Category Archives: Marriage Election Watch

Victory is Just Hours Away

November 4, 2013 – 2:35 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

In just a few hours, the polls will open in Virginia and voters will make their decision on electing their next Governor. The race is very close between Ken Cuccinelli, a principled pro-marriage, pro-life champion, and Terry McAuliffe, the discredited former chief of the Clinton Administration. Turnout is key and every vote counts.

Please vote tomorrow, and vote for Ken Cuccinelli, along with his running mate, E.W. Jackson for Lt. Governor.

The importance of this race goes far beyond the borders of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It will help set the tone for the 2014 midterm elections, and will be closely watched and analyzed by candidates, consultants and party leaders on both sides of the aisle.

Electing a pro-marriage champion like Ken Cuccinelli would be a great blessing. It would make it easier for other conservatives to attract support from national party leaders and donors. Though he appears to be narrowly behind, Cuccinelli could pull ahead with a strong turnout of conservatives.

Please do not let anything prevent you from getting out to vote tomorrow for Ken Cuccinelli and E.W. Jackson, and urge all your friends, neighbors and colleagues in Virginia to do the same.

Help get out the vote! Share this email:

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown

By Brian Brown | Posted in Alerts, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage, Virginia | Comments Off

New Poll Shows Continued Strong Support for Marriage

April 17, 2013 – 3:49 pm

A new poll conducted by Harper Polling for Conservative Intel. The poll differentiated between states where same-sex marriage is not yet recognized, and those where marriage has been redefined... and the results are telling:

We asked the entire sample of 2,375 likely voters, “Do you support or oppose a measure defining marriage as between one man and one woman?” The result was 60 percent in favor. Sixty-five percent of people in states that don’t recognize same-sex marriage say they would support such a measure. In states where same-sex marriage is legal, the result was tied, 45 percent in favor to 45 percent against.

Although this seems to betray an incoherent view on the topic by many respondents, it also suggests that the “one man, one woman” formulation frequently used in political talk (including, at one point, by President Obama) was chosen with good reason — it is something people find it easy to agree with.

The complete poll results can be seen here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Marriage Battles Are Heating Up Around the Country in 2013!

February 20, 2013 – 4:00 pm

Keep checking our Advocacy Center to see what you can do to protect marriage in 2013

By NOM Staff | Posted in Alerts, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Marriage Election Watch, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (25)

The Path to Victory

January 30, 2013 – 3:37 pm

Dear Marriage Champion,

Last week, the House of Representatives took the unprecedented step of voting to redefine marriage. The homosexual activists behind House Bill 5015 do not believe that children are entitled to both a mother and a father.

But we know that marriage is about more than the wants and desires of adults; the government regulates marriage for the good of children.

Recently, a landmark study showed that children raised in a household where at least one parent engaged in a homosexual relationship fared worse on 25 out of 40 measured outcomes, and did better on virtually none. You can see the study for yourself at www.familystructurestudies.com.

Now the battle shifts to the Senate, where the fate of marriage sits on a knife's edge. Even today the Providence Journal ran the headline, "Senate Appears Divided on Same-Sex Marriage Bill." Eleven senators have co-signed a bill to redefine marriage, while eleven others have signed a resolution to send the question to the people.

Which path will the Senate choose — radically redefining marriage, or letting the citizens have their say in the matter? For us, the path is clear... and that path starts with you.

You can make the difference in preserving the vital roles of mothers and fathers, and leaving future generations of kids the best chance of being loved and cared for by both their mom and dad.

Tell the Senate to REJECT the redefinition of marriage and instead "Let the People Vote!"

Act immediately and urge the Senate to REJECT House Bill 5015 and to support Senate Resolution 96 to let the people vote on marriage.

Here are three easy steps to make a difference today:

Call your State Senator right now and urge him or her to REJECT House Bill 5015 and to SUPPORT Senate Resolution 96. Click here for a telephone list of the Senators.
Email each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to REJECT HB 5015 and support Senate Resolution 96. Click here to send your message right now.
Ask you family and friends to join you by forwarding this email to five people.

There is a path to preserving marriage in the Ocean State, but that path starts with you taking action right now! Together, let's take this path today — to victory!

By Christopher Plante | Posted in Alerts, Marriage Election Watch, Rhode Island, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Action Needed: Rhode Island House Votes On Marriage TOMORROW!

January 23, 2013 – 3:00 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

We need your help right away!

Yesterday, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee voted to send to the floor of the House of Representatives a bill redefining marriage.

With the Supreme Court hearing cases on same-sex marriage in just a few short weeks, the eyes of the nation will be on the Rhode Island legislature to see how they decide this issue.

Today, you and other pro-marriage Americans need to send a message loud and clear to the political powers in Providence: DON'T MESS WITH MARRIAGE!

Click here to contact the Rhode Island House Leadership and urge them to vote NO on House Bill 5015 or any other proposed legislation that would redefine marriage in The Ocean State.

Marriage is too important a matter to be left to the whims of heavily lobbied politicians and the special interest groups padding their pockets.

Rhode Island has bravely held out against the tide of radical politics that has swept across its neighboring states in New England, where same-sex marriage activists have succeeded in forcing their agenda through the legislatures.

Contact the leadership of the Rhode Island House today and urge them to continue to stand for marriage and not to foist a radical redefinition of marriage on the state without the consent of its citizens.

The vote on the floor of the House is scheduled for TOMORROW at 4:00 PM — that's right, this Thursday, January 24 — so time is of the essence!

If you have friends and family in Rhode Island, forward this email to them right away, and share it on Facebook and Twitter, urging all pro-marriage Rhode Islanders to show up at the State House tomorrow at 3:00 PM to be there early for the vote and crowd the galleries with support for marriage, family, the rights of voters, and the well-being of children.

We need to act, and act as one, to send this important message to Rhode Island in time to make an impact. Tell them that the eyes of the nation are watching, and that we will not stand idly by while the most basic institution in society — the marriage of one man and one woman — is threatened by a radical agenda.

Stand for marriage, America!

By Christopher Plante | Posted in Marriage Election Watch, Rhode Island, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (10)

Brian Brown: "We Are the Rebels Now!"

November 29, 2012 – 3:00 pm

Our President Brian Brown was interviewed by Reuters on the future of the marriage battle:

"...in many states the gay marriage fight remains an uphill battle. The National Organization for Marriage says its own polling has found well over half of American voters believe marriage should be defined as a union of one man and one woman.

But Brown acknowledges that defenders of so-called traditional marriage now find themselves on the defensive.

"All of the cultural power is being exerted on the side of redefining marriage," Brown said. "Therefore, in colleges, students are constantly hearing about how it's discrimination or bigoted to stand up for traditional marriage."

"We are the rebels now," he said."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

"Protest Votes Against Same-Sex Marriage Help End 32-Year Reign" of NY Senator Saland

November 27, 2012 – 7:00 am

The Observer gives credit where credit is due -- to pro-marriage voters in New York who ousted Steven Saland for betraying them on marriage!

"When Terry Gipson stood on a chair to announce that he had been declared the winner by Gannett publishing in his race to unseat state Senator Stephen Saland, he received a warm ovation from the crowd at the Election Night party at Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie.

... And while the final ballot count is still not in, the Gipson victory comes as a surprise to many who were unsure that anyone could unseat Saland, a Republican who has been in the state Legislature for 32 years, especially after Saland was endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo after he voted to approve same-sex marriage. The endorsement and a letter from the governor to voters’ mailboxes came in the final days of the campaign.

In response to those actions, the Gipson campaign had pointed out that Saland opposed many of Cuomo’s other key priorities and that Gipson, who is pro-choice and supports same-sex marriage, would be a better match to the governor’s agenda.

“It’s quid pro Cuomo,” said one Democratic committee member not affiliated with the campaign who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. “Saland finally voted for same-sex marriage after years of helping block it, and it got him the endorsement.”

Saland has not yet been mathematically eliminated from the race and has not conceded."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, New York, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (5)

Brian Brown: Election Result Should "Wake Up and Energize" Marriage Advocates

November 19, 2012 – 12:00 pm

The Baptist Press interviews our president Brian Brown about the future of the marriage movement:

Voters in three states legalized gay marriage on Election Day -- the first time voters in any state had done so. But it wasn't a turning point on the issue, and traditionalists can still win the cultural battle, says Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage.

Some might think Brown is naive, but he notes that supporters of traditional marriage were outspent by a margin of 3-to-1 in liberal-leaning Maine, Maryland and Washington and lost by an average of only 53-47 percent.

"This is not over," Brown told Baptist Press, referencing the nationwide debate over marriage's definition. "... They had a great election from their perspective, but I hope that what this does is wake folks up and energize folks and people realize that [these losses] were not inevitable, same-sex marriage is not inevitable."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (38)

Bloomberg: SSM Backers Remain Focused on States Where People Can't Have a Say

November 16, 2012 – 11:00 am

More evidence that despite what happened in these past elections, gay marriage backers still don't trust their ability to win state elections:

Gay-marriage advocates, coming off their first ballot-box victories, are targeting New Jersey and five other U.S. states where the road to legalization is simpler because voters can’t overturn laws through referendums.

In Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island, lawmakers plan to consider or revisit the issue next year, and all except Minnesota already allow civil unions. Even though they prevailed in votes in four states Nov. 6 after a decade of defeats, backers say they prefer to make homosexual weddings legal through legislatures or courts. -- Bloomberg BusinessWeek

By NOM Staff | Posted in Delaware, Election Watch 2012, Hawaii, Illinois, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Minnesota, New Jersey, Politics, Rhode Island, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (11)

Baptist Press: Poll: 60% of Voters Back Traditional Marriage

November 15, 2012 – 9:00 am

The Baptist Press:

Despite four victories by gay marriage supporters on Election Day, a solid majority of voters nationwide still believe marriage is between one man and one woman, according to a new poll.

The survey by the Polling Company shows that 60 percent of voters in this year's election agreed that "marriage is between one man and one woman." Fifty-one percent agreed strongly. All total, 34 percent disagreed with the statement.

The poll of 800 people who voted either on Election Day or who voted early was conducted Nov. 7.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (30)

Breitbart's Ken Klukowski: "Marriage Still Wins When Equally Funded"

November 14, 2012 – 9:00 am

Breitbart News contributor Ken Klukowski:

"...the facts from the election returns don’t support the contention that marriage is a losing issue. First, it appears that supporters of gay marriage had vast resources to promote these ballot measures that swamped social conservatives, easily outspending supporters of traditional marriage. The Left managed to heavily market this issue not only to their base but also developed ads targeting Republicans, young people, and minorities with customized messages as to why those specific audiences should support gay marriage. Traditional marriage supporters had insufficient funds to effectively respond.

Second, in each of those four states, traditional marriage outperformed Mitt Romney and Republican candidates in general. Far from a drag on the ticket, traditional marriage received more votes than Romney in each of those four states. Thus, most citizens voting Republican/Romney also voted for traditional marriage, and also a sizable bloc of Democrat/Obama voters supported traditional marriage.

In the end two things appear clear within the context of how gay marriage is currently being discussed. The first is that there is a trend among young voters in favor of gay marriage. The second is that, given the narrow margins in these races, traditional marriage still wins when equally funded, but a large imbalance of resources for promotion and organizing to mobilize voters can give gay marriage a winning edge.

The looming question that America will soon face as a consequence of gay marriage is polygamy."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Polygamy, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (45)

NOM's Thomas Peters on PBS: The Future of the Pro-Marriage Movement is Bright

November 13, 2012 – 12:00 pm

NOM's Thomas Peters discusses the election results on PBS NewsHour and also responds to the inevitable question about inevitability:

Here is the last exchange between the host and Peters:

Suarez: "Aren't you standing on shifting sand? Given the momentum of the polls, given the momentum of the legal challenges, the losses in various federal appellate courts, the changes in various state laws, maybe you'll win tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, but are you fighting against an inevitability?"

Peters: "No for two important reasons, first of all, I believe in the truth of my pro-marriage views, just as the other side does, and people who have those deep-seated convictions don't look at the changing tides wherever they may be they fight for what's true and what's right. Second of all, I think it's amazing with all of the cultural forces tying to redefine marriage that we're still here in 2012 just barely seeing some footholds gained in deep blue states. I think the future of the marriage movement is bright and ultimately I don't believe history moves in one direction."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (198)

Mainwaring: SSM Victories "Tactical Wins, Not a Sea Change"

November 13, 2012 – 11:00 am

Doug Mainwaring, a gay tea party activist and writer, notes the "thin margins for same-sex marriage" in deep blue states and concludes:

"...In my home state, Maryland, a minimum of 23% [100% - (37%/48%) = 23%] of the opposition to same-sex marriage came from Obama/Biden supporters. Earlier in the year, the Maryland House of Delegates only narrowly passed same-sex marriage legislation with just one vote to spare, and that only came with lots of arm-twisting.

These are not overwhelming victories representing a sea change in public attitude toward same-sex marriage. These are tactical wins." -- AmericanThinker

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Maryland, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (60)

NOM's Peters on What the Election Taught Us: "Marriage Will Not Win If It's Not Defended."

November 12, 2012 – 12:00 pm

NOM's Thomas Peters reflects on what lessons should be learned from the election results:

Thom Price asked whether the election losses were attributed to a lack of communication.

"It's a lack of activation, not communication," said [NOM's Thomas] Peters, who noted the disparity in the number of volunteers working against Minnesota's marriage amendment in comparison to the numbers supporting the amendment. He suggested that Catholics need to be far more active in the process. "Our opponents start by voting, and then spend months phone-calling, door-knocking, and getting the word out."

On the issue of marriage, Peters noted that traditional marriage lost in all four states - Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington.

"In Minnesota, we tried to pass a marriage protection amendment so that marriage couldn't be redefined by judges. In Maine, voters approved same-sex 'marriage.' In Maryland and Washington, referendums to try to overturn gay marriage failed," said Peters. "We were outraised by 4 to 1, and 8 to 1 in some cases. Yet, in every one of those states, more people voted for marriage than voted for Romney. Traditional marriage lost by only a small margin. The message this sends to Christians is that marriage will not win if it's not defended." -- NCRegister

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (20)

By The Numbers: Marriage Outperformed Romney in All 4 States

November 9, 2012 – 2:00 pm

We've mentioned before that marriage fared better than the top of the GOP ticket in all four states that put the question to the people, here are the most recent figures:

Marriage vote: Presidential race: