Republican support for the freedom to marry continues rapid growth

June 27, 2014

This week, United States Senator Susan Collins from Maine became the fourth Republican Senator to announce her support for the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, joining Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who voiced their support last year.

The announcement from Collins comes after a steady year of increasing support for the freedom to marry among Republicans, especially among young conservatives.

Republican Governors, including Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania and Susana Martinez of New Mexico, have chosen not to challenge their states’ pro-freedom to marry court rulings, while federal judges who issued favorable opinions in Michigan, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania were appointed by Republican presidents. Stalwart Republicans like former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson are making their support widely known - and even elected officials like Utah's Republican Senator Orrin Hatch are calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to take a marriage case next year, saying that 2015 is "an appropriate time to decide this issue once and for all" and saying that marriage for same-sex couples is "going to become the law of the land."

The recent moves from individual elected officials mirrors the growing national support for marriage among conservative groups. Recent polling from this year has demonstrated remarkable support for marriage among young Republicans, with 61% of those under 30 years old saying they support marriage for same-sex couples and a majority of evangelical and Republican voters under 45 voicing their support.

Through Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, young Americans are speaking out more and more about why their conservative values compel them to support marriage for all - and how the freedom to marry aligns with their strong values of limited government and freedom for all.

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