Democratic Candidates
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom -- "California at its best is a beacon of equal rights and equal opportunities. If we want to prosper together, we must respect each other. That's why we must resolve to overturn this decision. Let this work start today." Source: San Jose Mercury News
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- “We’re going into every neighborhood, every city. We’re going into every institution to have this conversation about the right of my first cousin John to have a family. The right of men and women who only want one thing — the right to love, the right to a family — something so basic to all of us.’’ Source: LAIndependent.com
I did not find a quote by Atty. General Jerry Brown, however according to George Will's Jan. 15th, 2009 column in the Washington Post, Brown's office filed a 111-page brief asking the state Supreme Court to declare the constitutional amendment unconstitutional. He favors same-sex marriages and says the amendment violates Article 1, Section 1, of California's Constitution, which enumerates "inalienable rights" to, among other things, liberty, happiness and privacy.
Republican Candidates
Steve Poizner, state insurance commissioner and Republican gubernatorial candidate:“The California Supreme Court took the appropriate action today in upholding the will of the people by affirming Proposition 8. The people of California have spoken. They voted decisively that marriage should remain between a man and a woman. That is also my personal view.’’ Source: LAIndependent.com
Meg Whitman, Republican gubernatorial candidate:“I believe the California State Supreme Court made the right decision. Last November, the people of California passed Proposition 8, and today the court upheld their decision. This simple yet powerful fact is the foundation of our democracy. Regardless of one’s position on the measure, this ruling gives people confidence that their vote matters and can make a difference.’’ Source: LAIndependent.com
Republican candidate Tom Campbell was also missing from the search results when I looked for quotes on the ruling, and there is no mention of the ruling on Campbell's website, but I did find the following pre-election discussion as to why he felt Republicans should oppose Prop. 8: "...I will be voting No on Proposition 8. Same-sex couples already exist, so do different-sex couples. Californians in these relationships are our firefighters, nurses, police officers, and small business owners. They pay taxes and contribute to our economy and our society. Californians come in different shapes and sizes; that's what's made our state great. If two people want to make their relationship more stable, and commit more deeply to each other, that can only be good for California. That's true whether the couple is gay or straight.
We've seen the walls fall down that once stood against women's rights; the same has been true for racial equality. When my mother was born, women still couldn't vote in many states. When I entered school, black and white couples couldn't get married in many states. It's easy to forget those things, but it wasn't all that long ago. Someday, we'll tell our children that, when two adults in our state who wanted to get married were told they couldn't, we had the chance to change that. I want to be able to tell the next generation that I was part of ending discrimination, not making it a permanent part of the law...
Do you agree with your candidate's take?
