DOMA's Impact on New Jersey's Gubernatorial Race

When Gov. Chris Christie delivered a conditional veto of New Jersey’s proposed gay marriage bill in 2012, he justified his decision by saying same sex couples are afforded the same rights and benefits as married couples through the state’s preexisting civil union laws.

Wednesday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court could change all that.

By a 5-4 vote, the court struck down a provision in the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, that bars legally married gay couples from receiving federal benefits available to heterosexual couples. Though the ruling is likely to pave the way for same-sex marriage in California, it's also expected to have far-reaching implications, including in New Jersey’s upcoming gubernatorial election, in which Christie’s opponent now carries the support of a Supreme Court ruling.

Democrat State Sen. Barbara Buono, who represents the 18th District, issued a statement in support of the court’s decision. A gay rights advocate and mother to a gay daughter, Buono said the decision puts the country on the right side of history as a more free and welcoming place.

“For too long, our gay brothers and sisters were discriminated against under the law simply because of who they loved,” Buono said in a statement. “The DOMA violated our core beliefs as Americans – that all citizens deserve equal justice and equal rights under the law.”

Former President Bill Clinton signed DOMA into law in 1996. President Barack Obama supported a repeal of the bill prior to being elected. Later, Obama’s administration deemed DOMA unconstitutional, based on a number of factors, including a history of discrimination, and vowed to no longer defend it in court.

Though Christie is an opponent of gay marriage, he has argued that gay couples entered into a civil union should share the same right as married heterosexual couples. Gay marriage, he’s maintained, should be put to a popular vote instead.

With the court’s decision declaring DOMA unconstitutional and likely opening married gay couples to a slew of new federal benefits not available to those in a civil union, it’s unclear where Christie currently stands. Messages left with his press office Wednesday morning were not returned.

Gay rights, specifically gay marriage, have only recently become prominent in the state’s gubernatorial election. Earlier this week, Buono’s daughter, Tessa Bitterman, sent a letter to supporters criticizing Christie’s stance on same-sex marriage, calling him a conservative posing as a moderate.

At a campaign stop in Manalapan Tuesday, Buono said she discussed the letter with Bitterman, a declared lesbian, over dinner Saturday, warning her daughter that her decision could lead to national attention, and even some negative reaction.

Despite the concerns of her mother, Bitterman distributed the email, saying it was something she needed to do.

“I’m bursting with pride,” Buono said of her daughter.

Buono’s campaign has struggled to get a foothold early on, something Buono attributes to both her lack of name recognition nationally and Christie’s popularity post-Hurricane Sandy. While Christie continues ringing up endorsements from dozens of Democratic leaders throughout New Jersey, Buono has criticized the governor for failing to acknowledge other issues, including the state’s high unemployment rate, high taxes, and even gay rights.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, however, Buono may be able to find some of that attention she’s been looking for.