Local News

The Seattle Times political team explores national, state and local politics.

Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna opposed same-sex marriage on religious grounds during his unsuccessful bid for governor this year, but his wife, Marilyn, has a different view.

As hundreds of same-sex couples lined up to legally obtain marriage licenses for the first time Wednesday, Marilyn McKenna took to Twitter to broadcast her support for gay marriage. “Marriage is a blessing, not a political issue. We do well to remember that everyone benefits when couples commit,” she wrote.

Though he supports rights for same-sex domestic partners, Rob McKenna opposed Referendum 74, the gay marriage measure, during his campaign for governor — one point of clear contrast with his opponent, Democratic Gov.-elect Jay Inslee.

 In an email to The Seattle Times, Marilyn McKenna added that while she and her husband disagree on the subject, they respect each other’s opinions. “I believe that being pro-gay marriage is completely consistent with being a Republican too. It’s a matter of personal choice that the government has no right to interfere in,” she wrote.

She added in a second email: “Both the government and the Republican Party need to get the hell out of people’s bedrooms and get a life!”