New York state Senator Stephen Saland
of Poughkeepsie has won his GOP primary, while Senator Roy McDonald
of Saratoga County remains hopeful.
Saland and McDonald were among the four
Republicans who last year crossed the aisle to vote with all but one
Democrat to legalize gay marriage in New York, making it the most
populous state yet to do so.
Senator Mark Grisanti of Buffalo won
his primary with a comfortable margin. James Alesi of Rochester, the
fourth senator, retired.
According to the Poughkeepsie
Journal, Saland was declared the winner with a margin of 107
votes after absentee and affidavit ballots were counted.
McDonald fell further behind on Monday
as officials began counting paper ballots, but the incumbent wasn't
ready to concede.
YNN.com reported that McDonald's GOP
rival, Kathy Marchione, was leading by 113 votes.
“I think it is inevitable that Kathy
Marchione will be the Republican nominee for the state Senate seat,”
said Mike Cuevas, a spokesman for Marchione.
Jeff Buley, an attorney for the the
McDonald campaign, said
the senator “plans on running on the Independence line.”
Marriage equality foes had vowed to cut
short the political lives of the four Republicans. Knocking them out
in the GOP primary, which includes a higher percentage of
conservative voters, is easier than during the general election.
(Related: Gay
marriage foes target New York lawmakers with billboards.)