New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
beat his Republican rival on Tuesday, Buffalo businessman Carl
Paladino, to become New York's next governor, the AP reported.
Cuomo was considered a shoo-in, and the
picture became even rosier when Paladino was forced to apologize for
an anti-gay attack.
Paladino's remarks came in a speech to
Orthodox Jewish leaders. In contrasting his views on gay marriage to
those of his opponent, Paladino said his opposition to the
institution stems from not wanting children “brainwashed into
thinking that homosexuality” is acceptable.
More controversy erupted over a leaked
draft of Paladino's remarks, which included a sentence he omitted
from his speech: “There is nothing to be proud of in being a
dysfunctional homosexual.”
Paladino at first defended his remarks
and hammered Cuomo for taking his children to a gay pride parade,
which he called “disgusting” and described as “extreme people
in bikini type outfits grinding at each other and doing these
gyrations.”
After an avalanche of criticism from
lawmakers, gay activists, and even his own party, Paladino relented,
saying he was sorry “for any comment that may have offended the gay
and lesbian community.”
At a gay fundraiser in October, Cuomo
vowed he'd legalize gay marriage, if elected governor.
But
in the waning days of the campaign, Paladino and independent
candidate Kristin Davis questioned Cuomo's support for the
institution, saying he had not lobbied much last year for a gay
marriage bill.