Larry Keller, the Republican mayor of gay-friendly resort town New Hope, Pennsylvania, says his decision to refuse to marry a gay couple left him “heartbroken.”

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keller last week declined to officiate at a wedding for a male gay couple.

The couple obtained their marriage license in Montgomery County, which began issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples last month in defiance of a state ban. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has sued the county to block it from issuing additional licenses.

In reacting to a public outcry over his decision, Keller reiterated his support for gay nuptials, a point he made in a letter to Corbett.

“As a fellow Republican, I am writing to share my views on same-sex marriage in a time where I fear the laws of our state are out of touch with what is right and just,” Keller, who is up for re-election, wrote. “While I will obey the laws of our land as mayor of New Hope Borough, I hope in the near future this law will change so I can obey the law and do what is right in my heart.”

He went on to describe his decision to decline the couple's request as “heartbreaking.”