In the days after he was nominated as U.S. ambassador to China, congratulations poured in to former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., including one from Bob Page, a North Carolina businessman.

“I write to thank you for your leadership and outspoken support of civil legal recognition for same-sex couples,” wrote Page, who is raising twin sons he and his partner adopted from Vietnam.

“I have been deeply offended by attempts to scapegoat gays and lesbians in an effort to turn out voters,” Page wrote. “I appreciate more than I can say your courageous recognition that this serves no productive purpose.”

The ambassador nominee jotted a handwritten note to Page, thanking him for his kind support.

“Let’s hope that someday — all people are seen as equal under the laws of our land. With very best wishes — Jon.”

Huntsman drew national attention in 2009 with his public support for civil unions and other rights for same-sex couples — a sharp break from the Republican orthodoxy, especially in conservative Utah.

Now, as the former governor moves closer to a bid for the presidency, his civil-unions stance poses a unique challenge and potential liability in the Republican primary landscape.

“Candidly, I think he’d be crucified for his stand by the extreme religious right,” said Page, the CEO of Replacements Ltd., a company specializing in replacing china and glassware. “You’re talking about politicians.”

Connie Mackey, president of the Family Research Council political-action committee, the political arm of the influential, socially conservative organization, said she sees civil unions as “an easy way around the issue” and points to the support that ballot measures banning gay marriage have garnered as evidence of public opposition to same-sex marriage.

“The bottom line is, the recognition of marriage as anything but between one man and one woman is not acceptable,” Mackey said. “I can say unequivocally for the Family Research Council, for the National Organization for Marriage, for a lot of these organizations, it’s a deal-breaker for them.”

Several polls in recent months have indicated that a majority of Americans now support same-sex marriage.

A CNN poll last month, for example, suggested 51 percent of Americans say that same-sex marriages should be legally recognized, the first time the poll had registered majority support, and backing in other polls has been significantly higher for civil unions.

But the CNN poll indicated that 71 percent of Republicans in the poll opposed legal recognition of gay marriages.

Rob Wasinger, who ran Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback’s 2008 presidential run and is volunteering to do outreach to conservative groups, said that “social conservatives are looking for a candidate with Governor Huntsman’s record.”

“Governor Huntsman believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and his position on marriage and civil unions is identical to that of President George W. Bush,” Wasinger said.

It was early in 2009 when Huntsman made news, telling The Salt Lake Tribune that he supported civil unions and legislation that aimed at preventing discrimination based on sexual identity and guaranteeing hospital visitation and other limited rights to same-sex couples.