Anti-gay marriage groups released a new ad Wednesday in support of Republican Tom Emmer's bid to become the next governor of Minnesota.

The ad, backed by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's most vociferous opponent of gay marriage, and the Minnesota Family Council, touts Emmer's opposition to gay marriage. (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)

“[Democrat] Mark Dayton and [independent] Tom Horner want gay marriage with no vote of the people,” a female announcer says in the 30-second spot.

“Tom Emmer believes marriage is between one man and one woman. And Emmer says let the people vote.”

“Gay marriage has consequences, demand your right to vote,” the announcer adds.

The spot is the latest attempt by gay marriage opponents to flip the script on supporters, who have long called marriage a civil right. Voting on marriage, the groups say in the new ad, is a civil right.

“The right to vote, our most important civil right,” the ad begins as it pans over an image of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We've just released what may very well be our most powerful ad yet,” Brian Brown, president of NOM, said in an email, “focusing on the right of Minnesotans to vote for marriage, with footage from Dr. Martin Luther King's famous speech and the civil rights movement.”

Analysts were quick to call the ad misleading.

“The ad slyly suggests that those promoting marriage rights for LGBT people are somehow in opposition to King's values,” the Minnesota Independent wrote. “They're not.”

Gay rights have become a major issue in deciding who'll follow Republican Tim Pawlenty, an opponent of gay marriage, as governor of the state.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, contributed $150,000 to pro-gay candidates in Minnesota, including Dayton, after retail giant Target gave an equal amount of money to MN Forward, an independent political fund supporting Emmer.

NOM is also investing heavily in the state. It started running ads in the spring against Democrats who support gay marriage.