WASHINGTON — Delaware Sen. Tom Carper on Tuesday became the latest senator to endorse marriage equality.
In a Facebook post, the Democratic senator wrote:
As our society has changed and evolved, so too has the public's opinion on gay marriage – and so has mine. I pray every day for God to grant me the wisdom to do what is right. Through my prayers and conversations with my family and countless friends and Delawareans, I've been reminded of the power of one of my core values: the Golden Rule. It calls on us to treat others as we want to be treated. That means, to me, that all Americans ultimately should be free to marry the people they love and intend to share their lives with, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that's why today, after a great deal of soul searching, I'm endorsing marriage equality.
After a rush of endorsements in recent weeks, only seven Democrat senators remain who are not in support of same-sex couples' marriage rights: Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Bill Nelson of Florida, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio is the only Republican senator to endorse marriage equality.