Hawaii governor: I lost my re-election bid because I legalised same-sex marriage
The Governor of Hawaii has claimed his opponents coordinated to defeat his re-election campaign, because he introduced same-sex marriage.
Governor Neil Abercrombie signed same-sex marriage into law last November, just a day after the state’s Senate gave the legislation its approval.
However, despite the support of President Barack Obama, earlier this month he lost a Democratic primary to state Senator David Ige, by 31 percent to 67.
Mr Abercrombie has today claimed that the outcome was due to the rules of the primary process, which allow Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary, which they did to punish him for introducing equal marriage.
He said: “Republicans crossed over en masse to vote in the Democratic primary, and then the religious factor came in. Doctrinally I was outside the circle and paid for it.
“I had more money than my opponent …raised more money, spent more money…but it didn’t do me any good.”
However, he stood by his decision to legalise same-sex marriage, adding: “There’s no way I could live with myself if I thought I was diminishing another human being’s ability to reach their full capacity.”
Republican James Aiona claimed: “It goes back to trust, respect and balance. That’s what the people wanted, he never gave it, and that’s why he lost.”
