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Christie Drops Challenge to Same-Sex Marriages

New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is dropping a legal challenge to a court ruling abolishing the state’s ban on same-sex marriages.
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(CNN) — New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is dropping a legal challenge to a court ruling abolishing the state’s ban on same-sex marriages.

“Although the Governor strongly disagrees with the Court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the Court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law,” Christie’s office said Monday morning in a statement.

“The Governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”

Friday the New Jersey Supreme Court declined to temporarily block a lower court ruling knocking down the state’s same-sex marriage ban. The state’s highest court had been scheduled to hear further arguments in January. With that case dropped, same-sex weddings in New Jersey became legal starting at 12:01am Monday.

Christie has long said he opposes weddings for gay and lesbian couples. In his first reelection debate earlier this month, he called for a state referendum to decide the issue, although the governor said he would accept legalized same-sex marriages were a majority of Garden State voters to approve it.

In the second debate against state Sen. Barbara Buono, the Democratic challenger, Christie said that if his children came out as gay, he would still love them but his views on same-sex marriage would remain unchanged.

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