M. Myers Mermel voted in favor of a GOP primary between Rick Lazio and Steve Levy, but threw his support behind the former congressman and gubernatorial designee after the county executive failed to make the cut.

Mermel (seen here with his family in a shot taken last night by “Capital Tonight” reporter Kaitlyn Ross) received just 7.89 percent of the vote in the first roll call for his long-shot bid for governor after dropping his LG run and joining the fray just over a week ago.

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“We worked hard to get a candidate on the ballot, now we have to work hard to get that candidate elected,” Mermel told Ross.

Mermel also made it clear he doesn’t support Carl Paladino’s plan to force a primary by petitioning his way onto the ballot (Levy hasn’t ruled that out, either, at this point).

“…I think it would be counterproductive for the Republican Party to have an outside nominee petition his way on,” Mermel said.

“Now that we have a nominee, we need to get behind that nominee. I firmly believe in party unity.”

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