James Obergefell

Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote the 2-1 opinion in 2014 that upheld bans on same-sex marriages in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision in that case.

The two justices said the court's 2015 decision Obergefell v. Hodges hurt religious liberty and "created a problem that only it can fix."

The lead plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that led to legal gay marriage nationwide is endorsing the Democratic challenger to Ohio senator Rob Portman,…