The governor said the issue should be left to the states. Christie: Marriage debate not over

NASHVILLE — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Saturday that the GOP shouldn’t stop debating same-sex marriage, despite shifting national attitudes and a string of court decisions that have overturned gay marriage bans.

“I don’t think there’s some referee who stands up and says, ‘OK, now it’s time for you to change your opinion,’” he told reporters at a gathering of the National Governors Association in Nashville. “The country will resolve this over a period of time. But do I think it’s resolved? No.”


Still, he added, the issue is “settled” in New Jersey, unless there’s an unexpected change in the state’s solidly Democratic legislature.

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Christie, who opposes same-sex marriage, drew flak from conservatives for deciding to halt a court battle over the issue last year. He said Saturday that he made the call because he would have lost anyway.

“When I know that I’ve been defeated, you don’t bang your head against the wall anymore and spend taxpayer money to do it,” said Christie, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate.

The governor said the issue should be left to the states, noting that “an overwhelming majority of states currently still ban same-sex marriage.”