PORTLAND — Just as President Barack Obama’s views on gay marriage have evolved, Maine residents have also changed their minds on the issue since voters repealed the state’s gay marriage law in 2009, gay marriage supporters said Wednesday.

David Farmer, spokesman for Mainers United for Marriage, said gay couples are grateful for the president’s announcement of support for gay marriage. The group is leading a referendum campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine.

“The president talked about his personal journey and how over time he came to believe that all loving committed couples should get married. That’s the same conversation that we’re trying to have across the state. We’re going door to door, trying to prompt those same conversations,” Farmer said.

Obama, who previously said his ideas on gay marriage were “evolving,” declared his support for gay marriage Wednesday in an interview with ABC.

But Paul Madore, chairman of the No Special Rights political action committee, said the president’s announcement was no surprise. He said Obama was finally coming clean after refusing to take a clear stand for months.

“There’s no big surprise there to me, other than that he’s willing to put all of his chips on the table,” said Madore, who opposes gay marriage.

Gay marriage supporters said the president’s endorsement could give a bump to the referendum campaign in Maine.

“That just illustrates how far this country has come in support of gay marriage. It’s very encouraging for us here in Maine,” said Sara Jane Elliot of Scarborough, who hopes to one day marry her partner of 31 years, Rita Clifford. “I think we have better-than-ever possibilities here in November.”

Rodney Mondor of Portland said he and his partner of 13 years, Ray Dumont, want marriage rights as a family that includes a 12-year-old son.

“We’d just like to have that peace of mind to know that our son and our family are protected under the same laws of marriage as our neighbor. That’s all we’re asking for,” Mondor said.

Madore said he opposes legalizing same-sex marriage because he considers it an attack on religious liberties and promotion of special rights.

“It’s a bad idea,” he said, adding that it would only serve to consolidate power within a special interest group.