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CL: Are you going to be able to put together a statewide campaign that can organize in 100 counties? Plus, the other candidates have run statewide before, can you build an organization that can compete with them?
Faison: We've been running a grassroots campaign all the way through. And there are literally millions of people who are following our message and what we have been doing for five months.
CL: So in May, there will be a Democratic primary for governor, but there will also be constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on the ballot. In your opinion what would passage of that amendment mean for this state?
Faison: As you know, for over a decade we have had legislation on the books that says marriage is between a man and a woman. Not only has it been on the books, it has gone unchallenged for over a decade. In the states where bans have been challenged successfully they have an equal protection clause that specifically identifies equal protection based on sex. So we already have this statute that keeps marriage between a man and a woman, that has gone unchallenged, and where there is not a constitutional basis to challenge it. In the face of that, why would you pass an amendment? And the answer is, this amendment is not about marriage. What they're trying to is use scare tactics to drive out their base. So I voted against on the floor of the House, because it is completely unnecessary and attempt to divide our society. And when I go to the ballot box in May, I'll vote against it again.
Mike Cooper is a student at the Charlotte School of Law, a 2009 New Leaders Fellow at the Center for Progressive Leadership, and was born raised in North Wilkesboro, N.C.