Gay-marriage bills corner 2 governors

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By Valerie Richardson

Two New England governors are facing a choice between their principles and their party as same-sex-marriage bills move nearer to landing on their desks.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and Maine Gov. John Baldacci had staked out clear positions against gay marriage before this year's legislative sessions. Then bills to extend marriage to same-sex couples began moving faster than expected through the Maine and New Hampshire legislatures.

The bills' supporters and detractors have been divided largely along party lines, with Democratic legislators overwhelmingly in favor. The problem for Mr. Baldacci and Mr. Lynch is that they are Democrats, and New England Democrats who oppose gay marriage are increasingly rare.

"If you read the blogs, it's almost like it's become a litmus test for Democrats here, like abortion," said Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Policy Research-Action in Manchester, N.H., which opposes same-sex marriage.

Janson Wu, staff attorney for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders in Boston, disagreed. "I think this is a shift in the population in general, not just party lines," he said.

Mr. Lynch likely will confront the issue first. Both houses of the New Hampshire legislature have passed same-sex-marriage legislation, although lawmakers still must reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions before sending a bill to the governor.

"He's kind of in a box now because, on a number of occasions, he's said he doesn't support same-sex marriage and that he thinks marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman," said Mr. Smith. "So now, is he going to go with what he said he would do, or what the party wants him to do?"

Democrats who oppose same-sex marriage find themselves under intense pressure to reconsider their stance.

State Sen. Deborah Reynolds, a Democrat who voted last month with Republicans against the New Hampshire bill in committee, said she didn't think voters were ready for gay marriage.

A week later, she changed her mind and voted in favor of the bill on the Senate floor. The legislation passed Wednesday by a slim 13-11 margin amid rumors that Democrats were prepared to present a primary challenger to Ms. Reynolds unless she switched her vote.