The New Jersey Senate voted 20 to 14 to defeat a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Gay rights activists had hoped to get the bill passed because current Governor Jon Corzine said he would sign the bill into law. Governor-elect Chris Christie has said he would veto the bill.

New Jersey Senator Sandra Cunningham

New Jersey Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, urged her fellow senators to support the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act. Senator Cunningham compared the fight for marriage equality to the fight for racial equality.

She said if not for the Civil Rights movement the African-American and minorities might be part of the legislature, but in different roles. “We would probably be sweeping the floors instead of sitting here as legislators,” she said. “It’s important for me to stand up and say that everyone has a right and everyone has the right to fight for their life, for the kind of life we all want, the American Dream. Our responsibility here is to protect the rights of New Jersey’s citizens.”

“In over 30 states in this country inhabited by human beings some of whom are gay and some of whom are straight they have dealt with this problem they have put it on the ballot,” Senator Gerald Cardinale (R-Demarest), said. “In every state where it has been put on the ballot the voters have voted to maintain marriage as between one man and one woman. I find it very difficult to believe that in all 30 of those state there is no respect for civil rights.” Referring to marriage equality as “violence to marriage,” Senator Cardinale warned that his is “not an isolated opinion.” The Senator went on to warn that legalized polygamy will follow the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Senator Cardinale’s statement was applauded by the audience.

New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey had previously stated the bill didn’t have enough support to pass.

New Jersey Senator Blames the Entire Democratic Party

New Jersey Citizens React to the Senate Vote

“This should have been a slam dunk,” said Senator Ray Lesniak, one of the party’s frustrated power brokers. The victims this time were the thousands of gay couples across this state, and their children, who just got a slap in the face. The message opponents delivered to them was an ugly one, whether it was inspired by religion, by tradition or by old-fashioned bigotry. They are second-class families who cannot join the club. But most of us are victims of this Democratic decade in one way or another, unless you have one of those fat state pensions. Consider property taxes, job losses, the state’s enormous debt, and the ever increasing salaries and benefits that we pay to teachers, firefighters and cops. We face a mess that will take many years to clean up.

The reason for that is we have not been bold enough, the Democratic Party has lost its moral compass. We have been timid. Think about the crisp leadership Michael Bloomberg has given New York City, and then imagine the opposite. That’s us.”

The vote was a blow to the gay rights movement in New Jersey.

Supporters of the bill turned out by the hundreds more than six hours before the afternoon session, braving cold weather to rally outside the Statehouse in Trenton. Although they outnumbered opponents of the bill, it was not enough to sway legislators. After the vote, gay rights groups Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal announced they would take the issue back to the courts, where the right for civil unions in New Jersey was first won.