Iowa GOP Chair: Iowa Republicans are Still For 'One Man, One Woman Marriage'

While recent evidence suggests that campaigning heavily on gay marriage might not be a good idea for Republicans who want to win in Iowa, Iowa GOP Chair A.J. Spiker made clear in recent interview comments that the party isn't planning on changing its views on gay marriage anytime soon.

“There is a gay marriage party in the state of Iowa and that’s The Iowa Democratic Party,” Spiker said. “The Republican Party embraces one-man/one-woman marriage and embraces the right of the people to vote on the definition of marriage."

Spiker made the comment in an interview for Iowa Press with the new chairs of the two Iowa parties airing noon Sunday on Iowa Public Television.

Spiker's comments come in the same week as an interesting telephone poll of Iowa voters released by Public Policy Polling (link to PDF of the poll). Among the data collected in this poll, it was found that 76 percent of Iowan respondents said their lives have not been affected in a negative way since gay marriage was made legal in Iowa.

Although Public Policy Polling in the past has had a reputation in some circles of skewing Liberal, the same poll also favors incumbent Republican Governor Terry Branstad against most suggested challengers, so make of that what you will.

It is data like this and recent polling date among young people that has led many in the Republican party to begin to see gay marriage as a losing issue.

See our two part Patch series on this topic here:

Part One: Will Desire to Gain Voters Prompt Iowa GOP to Change Course on Gay Marriage – Or at Least Muzzle Activists?

Part Two: Fight Against Gay Marriage? Not if the Iowa GOP Wants Young Voters

Spiker's comments and the two Patch stories follow a visit by prominent gay Republican gay Mehlman to the state the week prior.

Jeff Angelo, the Founder of Iowa Republicans for Freedom recently helped coordinate Mehlman's visit with Iowa Republican activists, said recently that accepting gay marriage falls inline with the values that Republicans promote. Mehlman, a member of George W. Bush's political team, is a prominent openly gay man within the party, and he has advocated for Republican support for gay rights.

Angelo and Mehlman continue to argue that not only should Republicans not oppose gay marriage, they should embrace practice as being part of the GOP's general support of freedom, marriage, and strong families.