Gay marriage: Where the 2016 candidates stand

An anti-gay-marriage protester in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on Monday. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court will hear arguments beginning Tuesday in four cases that may determine whether same-sex couples have the right to marry, thrusting the issue of gay marriage into the 2016 presidential race.

Most Americans support gay marriage. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a record-high 6 in 10 voters support same-sex marriage, up from 56 percent last June. But the same survey found 63 percent of Republicans oppose allowing gay couples to marry.

So where does the crop of current and possible 2016 presidential candidates stand?

Cruz at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 15th Annual Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Unclear
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

Cruz is arguably the most vocal opponent of gay marriage among all the 2016 hopefuls. Last weekend in Iowa, he railed against Democrats for pushing same-sex unions down conservative Christians’ throats.

“Today’s Democratic Party has become so radicalized for legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states that there is no longer any room for religious liberty,” Cruz said. “We need leaders who will stand unapologetically in defense of the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was built.“

He recently introduced legislation — the Restoration of Marriage Amendment and Protect Marriage from the Courts Act — to allow Americans to define marriage as being between a man and a woman and protect states that bar same-sex unions.

And Cruz also called on a 100,000-pastor network to lead the nation in prayer while the Supreme Court hears arguments over gay marriage bans.

But that didn’t stop the Texas Republican and 2016 presidential candidate from holding court at an event held in a Manhattan apartment owned by two prominent gay hoteliers.

"The purpose of the meeting and the primary topics of conversation were national security, foreign policy, and America’s commitment to standing with Israel,” Cruz later said in a statement. “On the subject of marriage, when asked, I stated directly and unambiguously what everyone in the room already knew, that I oppose gay marriage and I support traditional marriage.”

Gay rights groups called for a boycott of all properties owned by the pair, who promptly apologized. Cruz, though, was unapologetic.

“I’m happy to go anywhere to anyone to champion conservative values,” Cruz added. “We’re not always going to agree on everything, and I’m not going to change my fundamental values. But at the same time, I’m hoping to offer enough bold leadership on a broad slate of issues that many voters will decide we agree on far more than we disagree.”

At the event, Cruz was also asked how he and his wife would react if they found out one of their daughters was gay.

“We would love her with all our hearts,” Cruz replied. “We love our daughters unconditionally.”

Rubio at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 15th Annual Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Yes
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

“It’s not that I’m against gay marriage,” Rubio said on CBS’ “Face The Nation.” “I believe the definition of the institution of marriage should be between one man and one woman.”

Like Cruz, Rubio believes the issue should be left up to the states.

“States have always regulated marriage,” the Florida senator said. “And if a state wants to have a different definition, you should petition the state legislature and have a political debate. I don’t think courts should be making that decision.

"I don’t believe same-sex marriage is a constitutional right,” he added. “I also don’t believe that your sexual preferences are a choice for the vast and enormous majority of people. In fact … I believe that sexual preference is something that people are born with.”

Rubio made headlines earlier this month for saying he would attend the wedding of a same-sex couple despite his personal belief that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.

“If it’s somebody in my life that I care for, of course I would,” the 43-year-old Miami native said in an interview with Fusion’s Jorge Ramos. “I’m not going to hurt them simply because I disagree with a choice they’ve made or because I disagree with a decision they’ve made, or whatever it may be. Ultimately, if someone that you care for and is part of your family has decided to move in one direction or another or feels that way because of who they love, you respect that because you love them.”

Walker at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2015 Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? He has been to a reception
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

Walker took the question of attendance a step further than Rubio, telling voters earlier this month that he went to the wedding reception of a gay family member despite his personal belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Speaking in New Hampshire, Walker, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, was asked if he would be willing to attend a gay wedding.

“That’s certainly a personal issue,” the Wisconsin governor replied. “For a family member, Tonette and I and our family have already had a family member who’s had a reception. I haven’t been at a wedding. That’s true even though my position on marriage is still that it’s defined between a man and a woman, and I support the constitution of the state. But for someone I love, we’ve been at a reception.”

Paul at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2015 Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Unclear
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed, but open to granting legal rights for same-sex couples

Paul believes in the “traditional” definition of marriage and thinks the issue of gay marriage should be left up to the states. But he is open to granting rights to same-sex couples too.

“You probably could have both,” Paul told CNN earlier this month. “You could have both traditional marriage, which I believe in. And then you could also have the neutrality of the law that allows people to have contracts with another.”

But as a general rule, the Kentucky senator and libertarian-leaning 2016 presidential candidate doesn’t like the government interfering in people’s lives.

“I do believe people ought to be left alone,” he said. “I don’t care who you are or what you do at home or who your friends are or what, you know, where you hang out, what kind of music you listen to, what you do in your home is your own business. That’s always been who I am.”

But in March, Paul told a group of pastors in Washington, D.C., that “moral crisis that allows people to think there would be some other sort of marriage” than one between a man and woman, and that religion would play a role in a Paul White House.

“The First Amendment says keep government out of religion,” Paul said, according to a video of the speech published by the Washington Post. “It doesn’t say keep religion out of government.”

Huckabee at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2015 Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Doesn’t sound like it
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

In February, Huckabee compared homosexuality to drinking and swearing — a lifestyle choice that he disagrees with but can accept despite his religious convictions.

“People can be my friends who have lifestyles that are not necessarily my lifestyle,” the former Arkansas governor said on CNN. “I don’t shut people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view. I don’t drink alcohol, but gosh — a lot of my friends, maybe most of them, do. You know, I don’t use profanity, but believe me, I’ve got a lot of friends who do. Some people really like classical music and ballet and opera — it’s not my cup of tea.”

Still, there’s no chance Huckabee will ever accept gay marriage — whether he runs for president or not.

“This is not just a political issue,” he said. “It is a biblical issue. And as a biblical issue — unless I get a new version of the scriptures — it’s really not my place to say, ‘OK, I’m just going to evolve.’”

Asking a Christian to accept same-sex marriage, Huckabee added, is “like asking someone who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli.”

Bush speaks to reporters after a “Politics & Eggs” event in Manchester, N.H., earlier this month. (Photo: Elise Amendola/AP)

Jeb Bush, former Florida governor

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? "Claro que sí"
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

When Bush first ran for Florida governor, in 1994, he dismissed the idea that gay people should be protected under the law.

“We have enough special categories, enough victims, without creating even more,” he wrote in an editorial for the Miami Herald. “[Should] sodomy be elevated to the same constitutional status as race and religion? My answer is No.”

But in January, after Florida’s ban on gay marriages was ruled unconstitutional, Bush urged Floridians to respect the ruling.

“We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” the former Florida governor said in a statement. “I hope that we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.”

On Tuesday, Bush was asked if he had ever attended a gay wedding.

"I haven't — that's not to say I wouldn't," Bush told reporters at an event in Puerto Rico, adding later in Spanish, "Claro que sí."

Christie at a town hall meeting in Cedar Grove, N.J., last week. (Photo: Mel Evans/Associated Press)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Unclear
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed

Like most Republicans, Christie is personally opposed to same-sex marriage. In 2012, the New Jersey governor vetoed legislation that would have allowed same-sex marriage in New Jersey.

And in 2013, when a state judge ruled to legalize gay marriage, Christie vowed to appeal, saying it should be left up to the Garden State’s voters to decide.

But a month later, after the state’s Supreme Court ruled to legalize gay marriage, Christie dropped his appeal.

Carson at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Unclear
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed to changing definition of marriage, but open to granting legal rights to same-sex couples

Carson has a history of making controversial comments regarding gay people.

In a 2013 interview with Fox News, Carson compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia.

“It’s a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group — be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality — it doesn’t matter what they are, they don’t get to change the definition [of marriage],” Carson said.

Last month, the retired neurosurgeon and possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate said he believes homosexuality is a choice — and pointed to prison as proof.

“A lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight,” Carson said on CNN. “And when they come out, they’re gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question.”

The 63-year-old said he’s open to granting legal rights to same-sex couples but not to changing the legal definition of marriage.

“Why do gay people want to get married? Why do they say they want to get married? Because they want to have various rights — property rights, visitation rights,” he said. “Why can’t any two human beings — I don’t care what their sexual orientation is — why can’t they have the legal right to do those things? That does not require changing the definition of marriage.”

He later apologized for the prison comments.

“I realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues,” Carson said in a statement posted to his Facebook page. “I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended.”

Carson added that he has supported gay rights for years, but re-asserted that he believes that marriage is a religious arrangement.

“Religious marriage must only be governed by the church,” he said. “Judges and government must not be allowed to restrict religious beliefs.”

Perry at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2015 Spring Kick Off. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

Rick Perry, former Texas governor

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? “Probably”
? Position on gay marriage: Opposed, but it’s a “secondary or tertiary” issue

Last week, Perry was asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt if he would attend a same-sex wedding.

“Probably would,” Perry replied.

But the former Texas governor and possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate called it a “gotcha question” that obscures bigger issues facing the country.

“It’s the economy and it’s national defense,” Perry said. “And if you’re not really not talking about those two on a regular basis and coming up with solutions on how to get this country back working, how to get this debt under control, and how to put America back into a position of being respected by our allies and being an influence in the world, then you’re spending some time that frankly doesn’t need to be spent on some issues that are secondary or tertiary to the future of this country.”

Sanders in South Carolina on April 25. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Yes
? Position on gay marriage: Supports

The Vermont senator has a long history of supporting gay marriage.

In 1996, Sanders, then a member of the U.S. House, voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, and in 2013 co-sponsored a bill to repeal it.

“It was a bad idea when it was enacted in 1996,” Sanders said in 2013. “That’s why I voted against the law in the first place and why I am a cosponsor today of a bill to repeal the discriminatory law.”

The Supreme Court struck down the law the same year.

In 2000, he supported the state’s passage of the nation’s first civil unions law. Vermont legalized gay marriage in 2009, the fourth state to do so.

“Of course all citizens deserve equal rights,” Sanders said in a statement Monday. “It’s time for the Supreme Court to catch up to the American people and legalize gay marriage.”

Chafee at the Rhode Island State House in December 2014, his full last month in office. (Photo: Steven Senne/AP)

Lincoln Chafee, former Rhode Island governor

? Would he attend a same-sex wedding? Yes
? Position on gay marriage: Supports

Like Sanders, Chafee has a long history of support for gay marriage.

In 2006, Chafee was just one of six a Republican senators to oppose an amendment banning gay marriage, and one of just four members of the Senate to announce his full support for marriage equality.

In 2010, when Chafee was elected governor of Rhode Island as an independent, he called on the state to do the same.

“A historic realignment is happening all around us, as Americans from all walks of life realize that this is the right thing to do,” Chafee wrote in a New York Times op-ed in 2013. “Much of the argument for and against gay marriage has revolved around the morality of the issue. Each side feels intensely that its position is more righteous than the other side’s. I personally feel that Rhode Island is a better state, and America is a better country, when we are as inclusive as possible.”

Rhode Island legalized gay marriage in 2013.

“I have been heartened in recent months to see members of my old party coming around on marriage equality,” Chafee wrote. “That reflects sound political judgment, and some values that are at least as Republican as they are Democratic, including a belief in marriage as an institution and a desire to keep government out of our personal lives.”

Clinton attends an awards ceremony at Georgetown University earlier this month. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state

? Would she attend a same-sex wedding? Most likely
? Position on gay marriage: Supports, says it should be a constitutional right

“Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that constitutional right,“ Adrienne Elrod, a spokeswoman for the Clinton campaign, said in a statement released a week after the video formally announcing Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid featured a gay couple who, in turn, invited the Democratic candidate to their wedding.

On Tuesday, the campaign changed her Twitter avatar to a rainbow-colored "H."

But Clinton’s full embrace of same-sex marriage sure took a while.

In 2000, she said she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Clinton said she was in favor of civil unions — something her opponent, Barack Obama, also supported.

In 2013, after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act — which her husband, President Bill Clinton, signed into law — Clinton announced her support for marriage equality, saying lesbian and gay couples “are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship — that includes marriage.”

But in an interview with NPR in 2014, Clinton curiously did not call for a federal law protecting gay rights.

“I fully endorse the efforts by activists to work state by state,“ Clinton said. "In fact, that is what is working.”

In the same interview, Clinton bristled at the suggestion that her support of same-sex marriage was done for political reasons.

"That’s just flat wrong,” she said. “Somebody is always out front, and thank goodness they are. But that doesn’t mean that those who join later — in being publicly supportive or even privately accepting that there needs to be change — are any less committed.”

(Cover tile photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)