--- title: Jeb Bush Urges 'Respect' for Florida Gay-Marriage Ruling description: Jeb Bush urged respect for "the rule of law" as gay marriage became legal in Florida, but declined to offer his opinion on the subject canonical: https://time.com/3654939/jeb-bush-urges-respect-for-florida-gay-marriage-ruling-but-declines-specifics/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-05T23:30:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:48:33.238Z article:section: Politics og:title: Jeb Bush Urges 'Respect' for Florida Gay-Marriage Ruling og:description: Former Governor Jeb Bush urged respect for "the rule of law" as gay marriage became legal in Florida, but declined specifics. og:url: https://time.com/3654939/jeb-bush-urges-respect-for-florida-gay-marriage-ruling-but-declines-specifics/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt780b76ead336e7ca/698777cc55a85968fda850ab/jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2650 og:image:height: 1491 og:image:alt: Jeb Bush at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, Colo., on Oct. 29, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jeb Bush Urges 'Respect' for Florida Gay-Marriage Ruling twitter:description: Former Governor Jeb Bush urged respect for "the rule of law" as gay marriage became legal in Florida, but declined specifics. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt780b76ead336e7ca/698777cc55a85968fda850ab/jeb-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Jeb Bush Urges 'Respect' for Florida Gay-Marriage Ruling, but Declines Specifics > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 5, 2015 11:30 PM UTC  Jeb Bush at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, Colo., on Oct. 29, 2014 Jeb Bush at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, Colo., on Oct. 29, 2014 Melina Mara—The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 5, 2015 11:30 PM UTC Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush urged respect for “the rule of law” on Monday as the first same-sex marriages began in his home state, but declined to offer his opinion on the subject. Exploring a run for President, the Republican lawmaker did not address a judge’s finding against the state’s gay-marriage ban, which was ruled unconstitutional last year, but sought to placate all sides on the controversial subject. The court-ordered stay was lifted Monday, clearing the way for marriages to begin in the state. “We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” Bush said in a statement. “I hope that we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.” Bush, who converted to Catholicism, endorsed a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman when it was pushed by his brother, former President George W. Bush. In an interview with the Miami _Herald_ this weekend, Jeb Bush [implied](http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article5410317.html) he disagreed with the court’s decision to overturn the state’s ban. “It ought be a local decision. I mean, a state decision,” Bush said. “The state decided. The people of the state decided. But it’s been overturned by the courts, I guess.” Republicans seeking the White House find themselves in a tough spot on the issue, caught between an evangelical base opposed to same-sex unions and a broader electorate that has drastically shifted in favor of them. Bush joins a roster of Republican politicians who are personally opposed to the issue, but have apparently acknowledged the shifting political dynamics. Last year, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared the issue “[settled](http://time.com/2978824/chris-christie-gay-marriage/)” in his state and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said that “it’s over in Wisconsin” after courts ruled against marriage bans. In a statement, Democratic National Committee communications director Mo Elleithee mocked Bush’s statement’s evasiveness. “It took Jeb Bush 69 words to say absolutely nothing – 69 words not to say, ‘I support marriage equality,’” he said in statement. “Nothing’s changed. At the end of Bush’s statement, he still had the same position: he opposes the right of gay and lesbian Floridians — and all LGBT Americans — to get married and adopt children.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3654939/jeb-bush-urges-respect-for-florida-gay-marriage-ruling-but-declines-specifics/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3654939/jeb-bush-urges-respect-for-florida-gay-marriage-ruling-but-declines-specifics/"},"headline":"Jeb Bush Urges 'Respect' for Florida Gay-Marriage Ruling, but Declines Specifics","datePublished":"2015-01-05T23:30:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:48:33.238Z","description":"Jeb Bush urged respect for \"the rule of law\" as gay marriage became legal in Florida, but declined to offer his opinion on the subject","url":"https://time.com/3654939/jeb-bush-urges-respect-for-florida-gay-marriage-ruling-but-declines-specifics/","keywords":["2016 Election","Gay Marriage","2016 Election","George W. 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