November 3, 2009 Gov. Baldacci explains support for same sex marriage Play video

(NECN: Portland, Maine) - Same sex marriage was up for vote in the state of Maine on Tuesday, and while the results were not yet in, the governor explained his support for 'No On One', which is in support of same sex marriage remaining law in the state.

The governor was not originally on the side of same sex marriage, but had a change of heart.

"What I found out and what I heard were there were real inequities in terms of Maine's statutes," Gov. Baldacci, a Catholic, said. "I've come to evolve on the issue from being opposed to it to recognizing that the Constitution says you must recognize that."

He also said that it was unusual to see Maine residents to put their personal stories out in public for a cause.

"You felt like, okay, it's going on in Maine -- it's not going on somewhere else -- and we've got to be there for each other," Gov. Baldacci said.

He said that the church is free to choose what it wants to do, and that the law only pertains to state issues. Final results were not available at the time of this report.