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Highland Park resident Bert Bueno (left) discusses gay marriage with Gov. Chris Christie during a campaign stop at the Edison diner this morning.

(Brent Johnson/The Star-Ledger)

EDISON — For the first 15 minutes, it looked a lot like most of Gov. Chris Christie's campaign stops. The popular Republican walked from table to table at the Edison Diner, signing autographs, posing for pictures, and even joking about his support for the New York Mets.

But then Christie stopped at Bert Bueno's booth, and the Highland Park resident grilled the governor on gay marriage.

"How come you're in opposition?" Bueno, a straight woman, asked.

"Listen: Lots of different people have different views on this," Christie responded. "I think marriage should be between a man and a woman.

"My view is: If you want to change it, put it on the ballot," he continued. "Let everybody decide. It shouldn't be decided by courts, it shouldn't be decided by politicians in Trenton. It should be decided by everybody. If the majority of the people of New Jersey want same-sex marriage, I'll enforce the law."

The calm, four-minute conversation was one of the rare occasions when someone in the crowd questioned Christie sharply at a campaign event, which are usually packed with supporters carrying signs. Bueno said she simply was having breakfast and didn't know Christie would be there.

Christie — who is running for re-election Nov. 5 against state Sen. Barbara Buono, his Democratic challenger from Middlesex County, where Edison is located — vetoed legislation last year that would have legalized same-sex marriage in New Jersey, saying voters should decide instead. Democrats balked, arguing that it's a civil rights issue.

Last month, a state Superior Court judge ruled that New Jersey must begin allowing gay couples to get married Oct. 21. But the Christie administration is seeking a stay and appealing the decision to the state Supreme Court.

A new poll released today showed that nearly two-thirds of New Jerseyans support the judge's ruling.

"How could you as the leader of the state speak and have such a point of view that really is in opposition to many, many people?" Bueno asked.

"Whenever you have an opinion that's in opposition to many, many people ... " Christie started to reply.

"But this is different than gun control or taxes," Bueno interjected.

"No, I don't think it is different," the governor said.

"It's a human rights issue," Bueno insisted.

"Says you," Christie responded. "The fact is: We've been very supportive of a lot of other things, like banning gay conversion therapy. This is an issue where we have an honest difference of opinion. Okay, so you put it on the ballot — you vote your way, I vote my way. And whoever gets the most votes wins."

Christie signed a bill last month outlawing licensed therapists from using conversion therapy to try to change a child's sexual orientation from gay to straight.

Before Christie moved to the next table, Bueno asked him if he would ever be open to sitting down for an open conversation with a group gay and lesbian people "to really see how this is affecting them."

"I have relatives who are gay, I have friends who are gay," Christie said. "I think I have an understanding. That's not the point. We have a difference of opinion.

He continued: "The fact is: I'm open to having conversations with anybody, but I don't think it's going to change my point of view."

"I appreciate this interaction," Bueno told Christie.

"Sure," the governor said. "Me too.

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