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Sen. Roy McDonald dropping his bid for a third term is not a loss for the same-sex marriage movement in other states, Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning told reporters at a cabinet meeting.
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“I think you could argue it the other way,” Cuomo said. “Senator Saland won, Senator Mark Grisanti won. Senator McDonald had tremendous support if he chose to go forward at this. So, no, I think you could argue it the other way.”

Anti-gay marriage groups have claimed that McDonald’s loss and Saland’s very narrow victory showed the New York’s electorate remains divided on the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage.

Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican, easily won his primary against Kevin Stocker, but he is in a three-way race between Democat Mike Amodeo and Conservative Party nominee Chuck Swanick.

Saland, too, faces a three-way battle with Democrat Terry Gipson and Neil Di Carlo on the Conservative line’s Row C.

Cuomo was not as enthusiastic about making a public show of support for Saland and Grisanti like he did for McDonald with a letter released yesterday afternoon that pledged the governor’s full support should he run.

“Senator Saland won by a slim margin, there’s no doubt the senator paid a price, but it wasn’t politically fatal for Senator Saland,” Cuomo said. “Senator Grisanti actually won. Senator McDonald lost. That’s the difference.”

Cuomo added that the letter to McDonald, a two-term incumbent, was not meant as a “political gesture.”

“The politics are complicated on this,” he said. “It was a matter of principle This was a piece of legislation that I pushed very hard and I had direct conversations with the senator about his support and I think he stepped up and I think he did the right thing and the honorable thing. I think that should be supported by his constituents and supported by his colleagues.”

Kathy Marchione, the Saratoga County clerk who defeated McDonald for the Republican line, released a statement today calling him “a friend.”

“I congratulate Roy McDonald on a hard-fought race and I appreciate his support,” she said. “He’s a good man who works tirelessly for our community. Roy and I have been friends for more than 20 years. The primary, and everything that came with it, is behind us, and I still count him as a friend.”

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