Presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman on
Tuesday said he would be OK if New York adopted a gay marriage law.
Huntsman, who on Tuesday formally
declared for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination at a press
conference held in New Jersey near the Statue of Liberty, has
previously supported recognizing gay and lesbian couples with civil
unions.
When reporters on Tuesday asked the
former Utah governor whether as president he would attempt to
override a gay marriage law in New York with a constitutional
amendment banning such marriages, the 51-year-old Republican replied,
“I would respect the state's decision on that,” The
Huffington Post
reported.
President Barack Obama appointed
Huntsman, a Mormon, to Ambassador to China, a post he left in April.
Huntsman's support for gay rights, in
particular civil unions, puts him in the minority among the 9
declared candidates. While former
New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson also supports civil unions, and
openly
gay Fred Karger supports gay marriage, five candidates –
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick
Santorum, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich – support
an amendment to the constitution that would ban gay marriage,
former Godfather's
Pizza CEO Herman Cain has said being gay is a “sin,” and
Texas Rep. Ron Paul does not support government recognition of gay
and lesbian unions.