PORTLAND, Maine — Gay marriage supporters and foes on Thursday exchanged vows to take the high road in their campaigns in an anticipated referendum.
The lead organization fighting to keep the state’s gay marriage law on the books made its request of Frank Schubert of Schubert Flint Public Affairs. Schubert Flint led the successful Proposition 8 proposal to overturn same-sex marriage in California, and it has been hired to do the same in Maine.
“Maine voters expect us to take the high road, avoid poisonous attacks, and make our case based on fact and principle. Today, NO on 1 pledged to abide by that high standard,” said Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for NO on 1-Protect Maine Equality.
Reached in Washington, D.C., Frank Schubert said his firm’s campaign to toss Maine’s gay marriage law will be conducted in an ethical manner.
“I’m not sure what point they’re attempting to make, but every campaign we’ve run has been an ethical campaign based on factual information. We plan to run exactly that type of campaign in Maine,” Schubert said Thursday.
Maine became poised to recognize same-sex marriages in May, when lawmakers set aside the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. Four other New England states, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, recognize gay marriages, as does Iowa.
Maine’s law was scheduled to take effect in September, but it has been sidetracked as state election officials verify petitions submitted to force a statewide referendum in November.
The law will be stayed pending the vote if state election officials certify the signatures of at least 55,087 registered voters. That’s all but certain since gay marriage opponents collected more than 100,000 signatures.
NO on 1’s pledge was adapted from the Maine Code of Fair Campaign Practices, a voluntary statement for candidates running for the office of governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House. It was first adopted by the Maine Legislature in 1989.
Among other things, the pledge says parties won’t use attacks that aren’t truthful or provable and won’t use materials that falsify, misrepresent or distort the facts. It further says that parties won’t exploit “doubts as to the morality, patriotism or motivations of any party or candidate.”
Maine’s ethics commission isn’t empowered to impose sanctions on Senate, House or gubernatorial candidates, much less a political action committee like NO on 1 or a private company like Schubert Flint, for violating the code.
“It’s a voluntary code and the Legislature did not authorize the commission to take any actions about alleged violations,” said Jonathan Wayne, executive director.