A leader of last year's campaign to ban
gay marriage in California says he's running for Assemblyman, the
Sacramento Bee reported.
Andrew Pugno announced his bid to
replace Republican Assemblymember Roger Niello last week. Niello is
term-limited from seeking reelection.
Pugno, a lawyer from Folsom, is the
architect of Proposition 8, and helped qualify it for the ballot. He
also acted as general council of ProtectMarriage.com, the lead group
of the Yes On 8 campaign.
The thirty-six-year-old father of two
boys is seeking to represent California's 5th Assembly
District. The largely white Sacramento-to-Folsom district has
remained in Republican hands since 1978; Niello won in 2006 with a
comfortable 2 to 1 margin.
Pugno's role in opposing gay marriage
has made him a public figure in California politics.
“I am often asked about my experience
working at the forefront of a legal battle that sparked an inferno of
controversy across the nation,” Pugno, a Republican, said in a post
at Flash Report.
“Unfortunately, I cannot say that my
work for the ProtectMarriage.com/Yes On 8 campaign hasn't affected my
personal and professional life. It has. I have lost many friends in
the long hard struggle, but I have also made many more. Despite the
overwhelming obstacles, political winds and fierce intimidation by
extremist, I have continued to fight to protect my principles and
fundamental beliefs.”