COUNTDOWN ELECTION 2012

Pro-Equality Republican Roy McDonald Loses NY State Senate Primary

We were just cheering that State Sen. Stephen Saland, who supported marriage equality in New York despite being a Republican, was finally declared the winner in a razor-close primary race.

But now it looks like his fellow aisle-crosser, Sen. Roy McDonald, isn’t so lucky.

With all absentee votes counted from the September 13 primary, Saratoga County elections officials announced Republican Kathleen Marchione had a 113-vote edge over McDonald, with just 50 votes that still could be contested.

“The primary is over, and we go forward unified, as far as I’m concerned,” said Marchione.

Of the other pro-marriage-equality Republicans facing reelection, Saland and Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo) won their primaries primary. (Sen. James Alesi did not seek reelection.) McDonald, a Vietnam War veteran, faced strong opposition for his stance, but said if critics wanted to vote him out because he voted his conscience, “they can take this job and shove it.”

Marchione used gay marriage as a wedge issue in the primary campaign. We’d love to hear how being against equality helps fight gridlock, provide for infrastructure, improve schools, create jobs—y’know, the things politicians are supposed to do.

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