Jeb Bush speaking in January 2014. AP Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) doesn't seem like he's going to tack to the far right on gay marriage as he moves forward with a potential presidential campaign. In a statement released late Monday afternoon, Bush reacted to his home state allowing same-sex marriages by striking a more moderate tone than he has in the past on the issue.

Bush expressed sympathy with the gay couples "who are seeking greater legal protections," according to The New York Times.

"We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law," Bush said. "I hope that we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue – including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections."

Despite calling for "respect" for gay couples seeking to get married, Bush's statement seemed to reiterate his past opposition to same-sex marriage. He also urged respect for "those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty."

According to NBC News, a judge ruled Monday that Florida's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. The state will become the 36th to legalize same-sex marriages.

Bush was clearly attempting to strike a moderate tone with his statement. The Miami Herald's Mark Caputo, one of the foremost experts on Sunshine State politics, described it as having a "neither too-hot-nor-cold Goldilocks quality."

However, it was still a marked shift from his past comments on gay marriage.

Buzzfeed's Andrew Kaczynski and Ruby Cramer noted the relatively sympathetic tone of the statement was a stark contrast from an editorial Bush wrote for the Miami Herald in 1994. In that piece, Bush implied providing gay couples with legal protections would mean "sodomy" was "elevated to the same constitutional status as race and religion." He went on to compare giving special legal protection to members of the gay community to government defending "polluters, pedophiles, pornographers, drunk drivers, and developers without proper permits."

Kristy Campbell, a spokesperson for Bush, provided Buzzfeed with a statement saying his views on gay marriage have shifted since he wrote that editorial.

"Gov. Bush believes that our society should have a culture of respect for all people, regardless of their differences, and that begins with preventing discrimination, including when it comes to sexual orientation," Campbell said. "This opinion editorial from 20 years ago does not reflect Gov. Bush’s views now, nor would he use this terminology today."

However, Bush's statement on Monday was not just a different from comments he made two decades ago. Talking Points Memo's Daniel Strauss pointed out it seemed to be a departure from remarks he made on Sunday night.

While Bush's response to the ruling on Monday urged people to "respect the rule of law," in an interview with the Herald the day before he indicated the issue of same sex marriage should be up to local officials rather than the federal government or courts.

"It ought to be a local decision. I mean, a state decision," Bush said. "The state decided. The people of the state decided. But it's been overturned by the courts, I guess."

Bush's apparent shift on gay marriage clearly hasn't silenced his critics on the issue. Shortly after Bush issued his statement, Florida's Democratic Party announced it was not impressed.

"Jeb Bush remains as out of touch as ever with Floridians and voters nationwide on the civil rights issue of our time," the party's chair, Allison Tant, said in a statement. "Bush championed these discriminatory policies as governor, and it's a shame that he remains determined to stand for the forces of bigotry."

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This post was updated at 8:42 p.m.