POLL: More Than 60 Percent of Republicans Oppose Marriage Equality

The poll shows so many Americans support marriage equality that a conservative may not be able to win on the issue.

A new poll shows nearly two-thirds of Republicans oppose the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of marriage equality, a finding that may bring hope to right-wing presidential candidates, who have made opposition to same-sex marriage a hallmark of their campaigns.

But the Reuters/Ipsos poll also indicates that more than half of Americans overall support marriage equality, so opposition to marriage equality may hurt Republicans in the November 2016 general election, Reuters reports

The survey, conducted online, found that 63 percent of Republicans think the court's decision was wrong. That could buoy marriage equality opponents like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as they seek the Republican nomination.

Walker, who has called for a constitutional amendment to allow states to decide whether to allow same-sex marriage, is expected to formally enter the presidential race next week. Cruz, Huckabee, and several others who have already declared are longtime marriage equality opponents.

The poll found 42 percent of Republicans taking Walker's position that same-sex marriage laws should be made at the state level by referendum, while only 24 percent of the total polled supported the idea.

In total, 51 percent of those polled said they suppor equal marriage rights, with 35 percent opposed. Forty-eight percent of independent voters voiced support, a figure that does not bode well for Republicans in the general election.

The poll was conducted online between June 26 and July 8. It has a credibility interval — similar to a margin of error — of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points overall, and plus or minus 3.3 percent for Republican respondents.