Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said Thursday night in Des Moines that he was "shocked" by the Iowa Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage and said he doubts gay marriage will be a hot-button issue in the coming election cycle as it was in 2004 when he ran for president.

"An awful lot of us, including me, never thought we would get a state in the Heartland this early," Dean said at a One Iowa fundraiser. "It's a sort of testament to the sort of thoughtfulness and fairness of the Iowan people."

The former Democratic National Committee chairman said the country is experiencing a general change in attitude on the issue. He said as gays and lesbians feel more comfortable expressing their identities, they are putting a face with the cause and that is "turning the tide."

"Everyone has gay friends," Dean said. "It is much harder to turn your back on someone you know, someone you see as a human being."

But One Iowa Campaign Director Brad Clark said "we have a lot of work to do, and that is why we're here tonight." Thursday's event, held at One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison's home, drew a crowd of 150 donors all looking to help the organization grow and protect marriage equality.

• See more photos from the event
• Listen to Howard Dean's speech
• Listen to an interview with Howard Dean
• Read IowaPolitics.com coverage

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