Foes of gay-marriage ban say poll shows Prop. 8 leading
The campaign says it is being outspent and urges more donations. Both sides ramp up outreach to Latinos.
Opponents of a campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California said Tuesday that a new poll shows them in danger of losing -- unless people step forward with more contributions to pay for No on 8 television commercials.
Although the opposition has enjoyed a healthy lead in several other polls, officials with the No on 8 campaign held a conference call with reporters Tuesday to announce that their own poll showed the measure would pass by four points. Opponents attributed the result to fewer television ads, which is, in turn, a result of the No on 8 campaign falling behind in fundraising.
Although the Yes on 8 campaign has not yet filed its latest fund-raising report, supporters said Tuesday that they have raised at least $25 million, compared with the $15.75 million raised by the other side.
"As a result of not being able to match dollar for dollar, we have seen a change," said Geoff Kors, the executive director of Equality California, which is fighting Proposition 8, the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The announcement pleased supporters of Proposition 8. "I can understand their concern," said Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for the Protect Marriage Coalition.
She noted that although other polls throughout the summer have consistently shown Proposition 8 failing, another recent poll, from CBS and SurveyUSA, showed the race as too close to call.
Typically, campaigns do not release their internal polling information. But opponents of Proposition 8 are clearly hoping to spur donations by dramatizing the threat to same-sex marriage.
Steve Smith, campaign manager for No on 8, said he wanted to be able to "match [opponents] dollar for dollar. If we don't get there, voters won't hear our messages," he said.
Smith also said his forces are being outspent in part because of a surge in contributions from members of the Mormon Church.
"I don't think we have ever seen a single religion in the state . . . so significantly participate in one political campaign," Smith said.
Officials with the Mormon Church did not respond to e-mails seeking comment.
In the meantime, gay and lesbian Mormons are criticizing members of their faith who support Proposition 8, pointing out that Mormons were once persecuted for defining marriage outside the traditional view of one woman and one man.
