Ken Mehlman, a Republican affiliate and the campaign manager for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, has come out as gay.
After years of rumours about his sexuality, Mehlman has made the decision to come clean because he wants to publicly vocalise his support for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US, despite the Republican party being opposed to it.
Mehlman who also acted as chairman of the Republican party from 2005 to 2006, is now an executive vice-president of a New York equity firm. He told Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic: "It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life."
The revelation makes Mehlman one of the highest profile, openly queer individuals connected to the party.
"Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive," he continued.
"The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago."
Speaking about the anti-gay legislation used by the party while he was working within it - including state referendums banning gay marriage designed to motivate Republican supporters to vote for Bush during the 2004 re-election campaign - Mehlman said: "I can't change the fact that I wasn't in this place personally when I was in politics, and I genuinely regret that. It was very hard, personally."