Politics

Liz Cheney says gay marriage should be decided by the states

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Liz Cheney flatly declared on Friday that she is “not pro-gay marriage.”

Cheney, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming, made the policy statement after accusing the campaign of incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of distorting her views on the subject through a campaign push poll.

“I am strongly pro-life and I am not pro-gay marriage,” Cheney said in a statement released by her campaign. “I believe the issue of marriage must be decided by the states, and by the people in the states, not by judges and not even by legislators, but by the people themselves.”

The issue hits close to home for Cheney. Her sister, Mary, is openly gay and is supportive of same-sex marriage. The Daily Caller reported that Mary Cheney married her long-time partner Heather Poe in Washington D.C. in June 2012.

Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, also supports gay marriage.

Cheney released the statement after saying her campaign has gotten reports that voters in Wyoming are getting polled with the question, “Are you aware that Liz Cheney supports abortion and aggressively promotes gay marriage?”

“The people of Wyoming deserve an honest campaign,” Cheney said. “They should not be subject to the kind of dirty tricks this push poll represents.”

UPDATE: A spokesman for Enzi told The Daily Caller they are not behind any push poll:

“Neither Mike Enzi’s campaign, nor anyone affiliated with his campaign, has conducted any polls in Wyoming,” spokesman Coy Knobel said in an email. “He would never support a push-poll, or tolerate anyone working for him who conducted one. For Liz Cheney to assert otherwise, without any proof whatsoever, shows more about her campaign than Mike Enzi’s.”

Knobel added: “Mike Enzi prefers to focus on traveling around the state and talking to people one-on-one. That tells him what he needs to know about what Wyoming people are thinking.”

UPDATE II: A Cheney campaign spokeswoman responds to the Enzi campaign’s statement to TheDC:

“This is an evasive answer,” spokeswoman Kara Ahern told TheDC. “Senator Enzi should instruct any entity, including the NRSC, doing polling on his behalf to stop this type of dirty tricks.”

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