The political situation involving Buffalo State Senator Mark Grisanti has been weighing on the mind of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo said today he is struggling with whether to endorse Grisanti, a Republican who will run on the Independence Party line in the November election. Grisanti was defeated in last week's Republican primary by Kevin Stocker. Mark Paneptino is the Democratic candidate after defeating former Senator Alfred Coppola in the primary election.
Grisanti was one of four Republican senators who crossed party lines to vote in favor of marriage equality in New York in 2011. The other three have since been voted out of office.
"This is a very tough situation for me personally, not as the leader of the party. [As] the leader of the party, the answer is always simple: you endorse the Democrat. This is a personally difficult situation for me," Cuomo told reporters Friday.
Cuomo says state Conservatives have worked to "punish" the Republicans who voted in favor or marriage equality in New York, which he supported. He says he believes Grisanti's vote may have cost him the primary.
"There were four votes for marriage equality. Grisanti is the last of the four. They have eliminated the other three," Cuomo said. "It's a difficult problem for me."
Cuomo says he is still considering his political options. He says he hasn't yet reached any conclusions.
