equality. In 2010, Gansler issued a legal opinion that clarified Maryland's ability to provide full faith and credit to valid out-of-state same-sex marriages. That opinion provided the underpinning for a subsequent Maryland Court of Appeals decision recognizing same-sex marriages from other states. For his early and strong support of marriage equality, Gansler received the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality Award. Gun control Gansler was a proponent of the Maryland State Police requirement for concealed carry permits, which states that a citizen must have a good and substantial reason in order to acquire the permit. Maryland Co-Chair, Obama presidential campaign During the 2008 presidential election, Gansler was the first statewide official in Maryland to support Barack Obama, and went on to be the Maryland Co-Chair, with Representative Elijah Cummings, of Obama’s Presidential Campaign. President of the National Association of Attorneys General Gansler was elected to serve as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in 2012. He served as Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) until becoming President-Elect at the NAAG. He also chaired NAAG committees on Youth Access to Alcohol, the Environment and Energy. As President of NAAG, Gansler focused the organization’s attention on privacy in the Digital Age. He formed a Committee on Internet Privacy at NAAG to keep close watch on developments in the Internet space that affect consumers’ control over their information, and headed several efforts to hold accountable those who fail to properly respect consumer privacy online. He called attention to companies that collect information from children in ways that appear out of compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. 2014 Maryland gubernatorial election campaign Gansler formally announced his candidacy in the Maryland's 2014 Gubernatorial race to succeed Martin O'Malley, who was term limited, on September 24, 2013. Gansler had a warchest of $5.2m and said that he was "flattered by the depth and breadth of support I have received from all corners of Maryland". Gansler was criticized by a Maryland veterans organization for suggesting that his leading opponent in the Democratic primary, Maryland Lt Gov. Anthony Brown, a former US Army Reserve Colonel, was "somebody who has never managed anybody, never run anything", as a result of his service. Gansler later explained that his comments were specifically in reference to managing the state's health exchange. Brown won the Democratic primary, but was defeated by Republican Party candidate Larry Hogan