(CNN) -- Going against his personal views, Pennsylvania's governor won't challenge a federal judge's ruling striking his state's same-sex marriage ban, paving the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry there. Gov. Tom Corbett announced his decision in a statement Wednesday, a day after U.S. District Judge John E. Jones became the latest federal judge to declare a state's restriction of marriage to one man and one woman to be unconstitutional. Pennsylvania officials will "follow ... the provisions of Judge Jones' order with respect for all parties," the governor said. State Attorney General Kathleen Kane has also announced that she will not defend Pennsylvania's same-sex marriage ban because of what she believes is "the unconstitutionality of this law."
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NEW: A conservative leader accuses Gov. Tom Corbett of "abandoning marriage"
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Corbett says he believes marriage should be between one man, one woman
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Still, he decides against fighting a decision striking state's same-sex marriage ban
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"The case is extremely unlikely to succeed on appeal," Corbett says
Cook-McCormac said @placeholder "did the right thing today, preventing a prolonged, divisive debate and providing much needed certainty for loving Pennsylvania families."