In extensive interviews with Garden State Equality's Board of Directors, both incumbent Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Rob Andrews endorsed legislation to establish marriage equality in New Jersey, making this one of the few elections in American history where marriage equality has been endorsed by two competing candidates for statewide office.
To be sure, United States Senators vote on legislation in Washington, not Trenton. But the support of these two esteemed public servants adds powerful momentum to our fight for marriage equality in New Jersey.
Senator Lautenberg said, "The government should get out of the business of telling same-sex couples in committed relationships that they can't marry. Anything else is not equality."
Congressman Andrews said, "I support marriage equality. The recent commission report on civil unions was pivotal in my thinking. The civil union law has failed to give gay couples equal rights."
In the end, Garden State Equality endorsed Senator Lautenberg.
Without question, Rob Andrews is one of the most thoughtful members of the U.S. House. We have heard him speak stirringly for LGBT civil rights on several occasions throughout his career. He is backed by several pro-LGBT public officials, and we deeply respect their decision to support him. If this were a different statewide election, we would be hard-pressed not to support him, too.
But if you were to ask advocacy organizations about their process for endorsing candidates, one principle would hold across the board. An organization should endorse incumbents who have supported the community, absent a compelling reason to do otherwise.
Garden State Equality endorses Frank R. Lautenberg for reelection to the United States Senate. Among all who have ever served in the U.S. Senate from New Jersey, he has been our greatest champion of equality.
