EDGE on the Net

The economy, jobs and marriage are among the top issues for gay New Hampshire voters who will cast their ballots in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 10.

The first-in-the-nation presidential primary allows locals and journalists alike to witness democracy in action. Here are some good (and not so good) moments from covering the lead-up to the Jan. 10 vote from the ground in my hometown of Manchester.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum once again responded to a question about his opposition to marriage equality and whether it makes him an electable candidate during a Salem, N.H., town hall meeting on Jan. 9

As Republican presidential candidates make their closing arguments ahead of the Jan. 10 primary, some New Hampshire voters are questioning whether marriage has received too much attention on the campaign trail.

Republican presidential candidates were pressed on marriage at the latest GOP presidential debate in Manchester, N.H., on Jan. 7. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney faced a similar question at a second debate in Concord on Jan. 8.

With the world’s attention focused on the first-in-the-nation primary state, here are some snapshots from New Hampshire.

With New Hampshire lawmakers expected to vote on a bill later this month that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law, opponents of state Rep. David Bates’ measure have taken to local media to try and thwart the proposal.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum certainly proved himself the next comeback kid after his second place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses. The question remains whether anti-LGBT rhetoric alone can sustain Santorum’s campaign beyond Iowa.

Both former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have endorsed a bill that would repeal New Hampshire’s marriage equality law. A potential vote could coincide with the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 10.

Rhode Island’s civil unions law took effect in July, while Maine activists collected enough signatures to prompt a 2012 marriage equality referendum. New Hampshire voters are poised to vote on a marriage equality repeal bill in January.