Former RNC Chair Urges N.H. Lawmakers to Vote Against Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

In an op-ed published in the New Hampshire Union Leader on Thursday, former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman urged state lawmakers to vote against a bill that would repeal the Granite State's marriage equality law.

"Stripping away the right of adults in New Hampshire to marry the person they love is antithetical to freedom," wrote Mehlman, who chaired then-President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

He also came out as gay in Aug. 2010.

"If we really believe (and we should) that every citizen is endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness, shouldn't this include the right to marriage?," wrote Mehlman. "If we believe in limited government, how can we justify expanding the authority of the state to take away this most personal, fundamental right? Aren't politicians already too involved in too much of our lives? Why would we want to expand government to such a personal space?"

He further stressed New Hampshire's marriage equality law "isn't just consistent with maximizing freedom."

"It also promotes responsibility, commitment and stability; it promotes family values," wrote Mehlman. "Again, our history provides a good road map: One of our party's finest hours was the passage of welfare reform because it strengthened families and promoted marriage. Why would we want to take away this right from anyone?"

State lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on House Bill 437 earlier this month, but Republican House leaders postponed it until at least February.

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010, while 44 percent of respondents said they would consider voting against a lawmaker who were to support the repeal bill in Concord.

Mehlman, who successfully lobbied conservatives and GOP lawmakers to back New York's marriage equality bill last year, is the latest Republican to speak out against HB 437.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families featured Claremont resident Craig Stowell and his gay brother, Calvin, in a television commercial that was unveiled earlier this month along with other HB 437 opponents. A second spot that featured Stowell and Maxine Moore, a long-time Republican activist from Portsmouth, debuted on WMUR in late December.

"Polls show even New Hampshire Republicans have no appetite to change the law, much preferring to keep the focus on growing the economy," said R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, in a blog post earlier today. "There's no reason to turn back now, and Log Cabin Republicans salute Ken for his efforts."

Freedom to Marry president Evan Wolfson also welcomed Mehlman's comments against HB 437.

"Ken Mehlman is right about the values of freedom and fairness and right about why marriage matters," he told EDGE. "Support for the freedom to marry and treating others as you would want to be treated are not Democratic values or Republican values, they are American values, and should be upheld by all."