New Jersey Residents Narrowly Support Gay Marriage

MOUNT LAUREL — As New Jersey Democratic lawmakers wrangle over whether to attempt to pass a law to legalize gay marriage, a new poll finds that the state's citizens narrowly favor the measure, though getting it passed isn't a top priority for most.

A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll of 903 New Jersey adults surveyed Nov. 6-10 finds that they support allowing gay marriage by a 46 to 42 margin. About 1 in 8 was undecided.

The poll shows, as others have, that support for gay marriage is higher in New Jersey than it is elsewhere in the country. A Pew Research Center poll released last month found just 39 percent of Americans support gay marriage. In 30 states, bans have been adopted by voters in state constitutional amendments.

In the latest New Jersey poll, just over half said they would accept a law if it was passed. But 40 percent — nearly all those who oppose gay marriage — said they would support a state constitutional amendment to overturn such a law.

"There is more of a 'live and let live' attitude in New Jersey than in many other states that have dealt with this issue," said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

But the issue isn't a top priority for most. Fewer than 1 in 6 said it was a very important issue; nearly half said it's not important at all.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Gay marriage is now allowed in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa and will be allowed in New Hampshire on Jan. 1.

New Jersey is one of a handful of states to offer civil unions, which offer legal protections of marriage for same-sex couples, but not the title of marriage.

There have been similar debates among New York lawmakers about whether to advance a gay marriage bill there this year.

But activists in New Jersey have a renewed urgency to persuade lawmakers to give gays full marriage rights in the state quickly.

Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, supports the measure. But Gov.-elect Chris Christie, Republican, says he would veto it if it passed after he takes office Jan. 19.

Since the Nov. 3 election, some key legislative Democrats have said that there might not be enough support for a bill to get it passed while Corzine is still in office.

If that's the case, they say they won't put the issue to a vote.

Wednesday, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg put out a statement aimed at pushing two state senators who seem to be wavering on whether to put the gay marriage question to a vote — Paul Sarlo, of Wood-Ridge, the chairman of the senate's Judiciary committee; and Steve Sweeney, of West Deptford, who is expected to become Senate president next year.

Weinberg said both had committed to pushing the bill ahead, and that it should remain a priority.

"We have the ability in the legislature to talk about this bill and address the economic crisis at the same time," she said.

The fate of the bill could get clearer when lawmakers convene Monday for the first time since the election.