Candidates vying for the Republican
presidential nomination continue to buck nationwide trends in support
of marriage equality.
As the Supreme Court on Friday declared
state gay marriage bans unconstitutional, most candidates denounced
the ruling and some pledged to fight on.
Mike Huckabee, the former governor of
Arkansas, called the decision illegitimate and “unconstitutional”
and promised not to “acquiesce to an imperial court.”
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who is
expected to jump into the race, reiterated his support for a
constitutional amendment that would reverse the court's ruling. “No
one wants to live in a country where the government coerces people to
act in opposition to their conscience. We will continue to fight for
the freedoms of all Americans,” he said.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
also criticized the ruling but added that an attempt to amend the
U.S. Constitution would likely fail. “Rather than pursuing a
divisive effort that would be doomed to fail, I am committing myself
to ensuing the protection of religious liberties of all Americans,”
he said.
Jeb Bush, the former governor of
Florida, echoed a similar tone, urging respect for all couples,
“including those making lifetime commitments,” and saying it was
crucial “to protect religious freedom and the right of conscience
and also not discriminate.”
Florida Senator Marco Rubio said that
the next president must focus on protecting “the First Amendment
rights of religious institutions and millions of Americans whose
faiths hold a traditional view of marriage.”
Ben Carson said he “strongly
disagreed” with the ruling but added it is “now the law of the
land.” “I call on Congress to make sure deeply held religious
views are respected and protected,” Carson said. “The government
must never force Christians to violate their religious beliefs.”
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who
entered the race this week, strongly denounced the ruling, saying it
would “pave the way for an all out assault against the religious
freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision.”
Appearing on The Sean Hannity Show,
Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the ruling “shameless judicial
activism.”
(Related: Ted
Cruz: Gay marriage ruling has no connection to U.S. Constitution.)
Democratic leaders, including President
Barack Obama and presidential hopeful Hillary
Rodham Clinton, applauded the court's action.