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In Blow to Grisanti, Conservatives Back Pro-Marriage Democrat for Senate

 

Betraying marriage has consequences, as the Buffalo News reports:

Erie County Conservatives dealt a major blow to State Sen. Mark J. Grisanti's re-election hopes Thursday evening by spurning the Buffalo Republican and endorsing Democrat Charles M. Swanick.

In a move that could ultimately determine which major party controls the State Senate, the often-influential minor party denied its line to Grisanti and reunited with Swanick, a longtime Conservative friend who served 26 years in the County Legislature before retiring in 2005.

...The Conservative decision also marks a decisive rejection of Grisanti, who achieved his upset victory in 2010 on the strength of the Conservative line. He then infuriated some in the party with his vote last year in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.

"Chuck Swanick is pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-Second Amendment and a fiscal conservative," said Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo.

"I understand the argument made to us that the Republican Senate may hang in the balance," he said. "Unfortunately, a number of people on my board feel the Republican Senate has not been there for the job we expect them to do."

... Lorigo said Grisanti raised the sharpest Conservative ire for breaking his promise not to vote for same-sex marriage and voting to impose a "millionaires tax" that the chairman said was disguised as a middle-class tax break.

... "The worst problem he has is the question about his integrity," he added, referring to Grisanti's promise to the party not to vote for the marriage bill.

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