Matt Jenkins, Republican candidate for Congress in Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District, this morning came out in support of same sex marriage.
“Back in September I promised ‘New Ideas for a New Generation,’ Jenkins wrote on his campaign’s Facebook page. “Today I want to endorse same sex marriage. I promised I would uphold the US Constitution, and no where in there does it talk about marriage. It starts off WE THE PEOPLE. We the people means same sex marriage to all people if they desire. This issue should not be decide by courts or the Alabama Legislation, but by the people of Alabama.”
But this afternoon, the Jenkins for Congress campaign removed the statements from their social media accounts.
“We took those posts down because there was a lot of vulgar language and angry people commenting,” Jenkins told Yellowhammer this afternoon. “Marriage is not defined in the Constitution. Marriage shouldn’t be an issue if we’re going to stick to the Constitution. I’m married to a beautiful woman from California and she helped me realize that. I’m not going to apologize to anyone for how I feel. I’ve had several same-sex marriage groups reach out to me and say, ‘Wow, a Republican from Alabama finally stood up.'”
Although he doesn’t want to make social issues a center piece of his campaign, Jenkins said he had no choice but to address gay marriage because so many people have asked him about it on the campaign trail.
“I’ve tried to keep social issues out of the campaign,” Jenkins said. “I’m trying to discuss small businesses and immigration reform, but all I keep getting is ‘how do you feel on social issues and how do you plan to get the black vote?’ People never cared about this race until I said this. We’re in a blue area and people want some change. No one seems to be listening to the Seventh District. No one in the Party cares about it. Most of the financial support has been from out of state.”
Jenkins’ campaign manager Rodney Stanhope also posted a video on Facebook skewering conservatives in Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District for not being willing to get involved in their campaign.
“After being here for about a week and half on the Matt Jenkins for Congress campaign, I’m just trying to figure out just how you deal with armchair quarterbacks and their sanctimonious… judgmental, Bible preaching, moralistic police,” Stanhope said. “They don’t want to get involved the campaign… They don’t want to donate to the campaign. But oh my goodness, you say something they don’t morally agree with, and suddenly they’re all over the place because you are a terrible person. And what’s funny is, not a damn one of them understand that Obama, with his pen and his phone, will destroy the very Constitution this country was founded on and you’re one, single little insignificant issue won’t matter.”
Jenkins is running against Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, in one of the most solidly Democrat districts in the country.
Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims
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