SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County government official in charge of issuing marriage licenses has withdrawn a legal bid to stop gay marriage because another group already has a similar challenge pending.
San Diego County Clerk Ernest Dronenburg Jr. said in a statement Saturday that he was withdrawing his request for the state Supreme Court to halt gay weddings because the sponsors of a 2008 ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage have filed a similar petition.
Gay rights groups had criticized Dronenburg for making the request last month.