Political Insiders poll shows huge gains in support for the freedom to marry

January 11, 2013

A new poll from Political Insiders in The National Journal indicates significant growth in support of ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. 

The poll demonstrates enormous support for the freedom to marry among Democrats - 97 percent of respondents said the Democratic Party should support marriage for same-sex couples, while 0 percent said the party should oppose marriage, and 2 percent said the party should avoid the issue entirely.

More than a quarter of Republicans - 27 percent - said that the Republican Party should support marriage for same-sex couples, and only 11 percent said the party should oppose it. One comment from a respondent who said the party should support marriage said, 'We can't be a party that supports a zone of personal freedom and then try to use federal power to curtail it."

The number of Republicans who said their party should support same-sex couples' freedom to marry has nearly doubled since the same poll was taken in 2011, when only 14 percent responded in favor of marriage. It has more than tripled since 2009, when 8 percent thought the Republican Party should support marriage and 50 percent thought the Republican Party should oppose marriage. 

Freedom to Marry founder and president Evan Wolfson commented on the release of the poll today. He said:

The Political Insiders poll reflects the continuing momentum and movement of the center of gravity in favor of the freedom to marry. Democrats overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry, and more and more Republicans also understand why it is right, and politically smart, to allow same-sex couples to share in the dignity and protections that marriage brings. From former Vice President Dick Cheney to columnist and advocate Meghan McCain, Republicans are also moving toward joining the national majority in favor of marriage, and are increasingly speaking out in favor of love, commitment, and fairness. Marriage is no longer a political divider; it's just the right thing to do.

For more information on recent polling on support for the freedom to marry, click here.