The count of thousands of absentee ballots from Thursday's GOP primary will take days.
Among the four Republican senators who cast the deciding votes to legalize gay marriage in June 2011, two — Sen. Roy McDonald and Sen. Stephen Saland — are now fighting for their political lives; one — Sen. James Alesi — retired this year in the face of opposition from his vote; and a fourth, Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, won his primary.
The Republicans said they agonized over their vote a year ago and ultimately cast votes of personal conviction, immediately angering their base. In response, a frustrated McDonald famously shouted publicly that if voting his conscience isn't the right thing to do, critics can "take this job and shove it."
According to unofficial results compiled by The Associated Press, Saland of Poughkeepsie, who cast the deciding vote for gay marriage, is barely leading Neil DiCarlo in Saland's first GOP challenge in his 32 years in public office. McDonald, whose district is based in Saratoga County, is slightly ahead of Kathleen Marchione, the Saratoga County clerk.
"It shows when it comes to Republicans, that principles matter," said New York state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long. The influential and longest-serving political leader in New York had warned Republican senators before the June 2011 vote that he would oppose anyone who voted for gay marriage.
"Regardless of how it turns out, the standing up for principle was loud and clear," he said Friday in an interview.
Political analyst Bruce Gyory said the veteran senators, however, may have an advantage in the absentee vote count. Their political organizations are far more experienced in winning the count of voters who mailed in ballots because they were out of town on primary day.
"So it's way too early to tell," said Gyory, a political consultant who studies voter trends and teaches at the state University at Albany. "I wouldn't rule McDonald out and certainly not Saland."
He also said other issues were at play in the local races. He noted Saland's contest in the Hudson Valley probably had a larger-than-usual turnout of conservatives because of a local Assembly race that featured a tea party candidate.
