Here are the key Senate Republican votes on legislation to protect gay marriage

Senate Republicans are keeping their distance from a House-passed bill to protect same-sex marriage, even though polls show a majority of Republicans support it and the measure passed overwhelmingly in the lower chamber with 47 House GOP votes.

So far only three Senate Republicans say they will support the measure and a fourth, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), says she supports marriage equality generally but needs to look at the legislation more closely.  

“I have long made known public my support for marriage equality,” she said, explaining that she hasn’t had a chance to review the bill closely.

The three Republicans who say they will back the measure are the bill’s sponsors, Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Rob Portman (Ohio), and Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), who told reporters he “probably will” vote for it.  

There’s also a group of eight to 10 Republicans who are potential yeses.  

But two GOP senators initially seen as possible supporters of the legislation, Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.), said Wednesday they would not vote for it. 

Cornyn dismissed the legislation as a political stunt by Democrats trying to divert attention from inflation, and Graham said he wants to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.