(New Jersey) Gov. Jon Corzine has made his support for gay-marriage a prominent part of his reelection campaign, a stance opposite to the views he held as recently as 2006. While campaigning over the past couple of week, Corzine has made same-sex marriage an important part of his crusade.

Corzine has made his comments in an effort to differentiate himself from his Republican opponent, Christopher J. Christie, who said he would veto a bill allowing same-sex marriage.

“New Jersey is undergoing a sea change in how politicians are looking at marriage equality,” said Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that when a candidate campaigns on an issue, it’s not only because he or she believes in the issue, but also because the candidate believes it’s a political plus.”

In 2005, Corzine said in his campaign that “the fundamental and traditional view of marriage is between a man and a woman.” In 2006, he signed a civil-unions bill that granted equal rights to gay and lesbian couples.

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