Pastor Don Hamer, the founder of a new Chula Vista-based group that is working to elect conservative judges in local elections, died of a heart attack on Wednesday morning, Hamer was pastor of the Zion Christian Fellowship in San Diego and was a leading voice locally for Proposition 8, the initiative passed by voters in 2008 which ended same-sex marriages in California.

In December, Hamer founded a group called BetterCourtsNow.com. Its stated goal is to target local judicial elections and elect judges who oppose abortion and same-sex marriage. The group's website includes video testimonials by Hamer and 20 different supporters.