2018 ID Governor's race: on Families & Children


Brad Little: Defend our constitution by defining marriage

Q: If elected, would you challenge the Supreme Court's decision on the ability of states to define marriage?

Little: "While serving in the Senate, I voted to adopt the language defining marriage in the Idaho Constitution. It is the role of the governor to defend our constitution and laws, and I will look for every opportunity to do so. We need a Republican president and Senate to put people on the Supreme Court who uphold our (U.S.) Constitution as our founders intended."

What you should know: In 2004 and 2005, then-Sen. Little voted against resolutions to amend the Idaho Constitution to define marriage as one man and one woman. Both resolutions failed to pass. In 2006, he voted in support of a third version of the resolution, which cleared the Legislature and which voters passed that November. The amendment is still in the state constitution but was overturned in federal court.

Source: Idaho Statesman on 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial debate Feb 25, 2018

Paulette Jordan: Marriage equality should not be limited by state boundaries

Q: If elected, would you challenge the Supreme Court's decision on the ability of states to define marriage?

The issue: Otter took his battle to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Their rulings legalized gay marriage in Idaho months before the U.S. Supreme Court did the same in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Jordan: "As governor, I would not challenge the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. Marriage is a fundamental right for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or geographic location. No one's home state should preclude them from accessing the same rights and freedoms as their fellow citizens in a neighboring state."

Lt. Gov. Brad Little: "While serving in the Senate, I voted to adopt the language defining marriage in the Idaho Constitution. It is the role of the governor to defend our constitution and laws, and I will look for every opportunity to do so."

Source: Idaho Statesman on 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial debate Feb 25, 2018

Raul Labrador: Challenge Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage

Q: If elected, would you challenge the Supreme Court's decision on the ability of states to define marriage?

The issue: Otter took his battle to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Their rulings legalized gay marriage in Idaho months before the U.S. Supreme Court did the same in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Labrador: "Strong families improve our communities, our state and our nation. As governor, I'll actively look for ways to strengthen healthy families and foster policies that result in resilient communities. I will also actively look for an opportunity to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell decision that interfered with our state sovereignty and took away states' ability to define marriage."

Source: Idaho Statesman on 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial debate Feb 25, 2018

Tommy Ahlquist: Marriage should be the union of a man and a woman

Q: If elected, would you challenge the Supreme Court's decision on the ability of states to define marriage?

The issue: US Circuit Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court rulings legalized gay marriage in Idaho months before the Supreme Court did the same nationally in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Ahlquist: "I believe that marriage should be the union of a man and a woman. As our governor, I will support policies that promote and safeguard the traditional institution of marriage. I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court decision on this issue. If something changes that allows a viable legal option to challenge the Supreme Court's decision, I will pursue that. I will not, however, waste taxpayer dollars pursuing frivolous lawsuits that have no chance of success."

What you should know: Ahlquist's website in early 2017 included a pledge to "fight to protect Idaho's right to define marriage within our state." He removed that wording last summer after questions about how he would pursue it.

Source: Idaho Statesman on 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial debate Feb 25, 2018

  • The above quotations are from 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Families & Children.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Russ Fulcher on Families & Children.
  • Click here for more quotes by Brad Little on Families & Children.
Candidates and political leaders on Families & Children:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 11, 2018