NYS senator who backed gay rites concedes

ALBANY -- Republican state Sen. Stephen Saland, who cast the critical vote to legalize gay marriage in New York, conceded his re-election bid Thursday, resulting in the third Republican to lose his office after being dogged by their historic votes.

Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo praised the Republican as being "a model for our collective aspirations of how our elected officials should perform." Cuomo called Saland's vote courageous and one of conscience in his uncommon endorsement of Saland's re-election.

Saland also negotiated protections into the bill so clergy opposed to gay marriage wouldn't be forced to perform those weddings, which was a critical step for approval.

With Saland's decision yesterday, Democrat Terry Gipson is the winner of the 41st Senate District race, which was too close to call on election night.

"I respectfully concede in my bid for State Senate and offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Gipson," Saland, of Poughkeepsie, said in a statement, ending 32 years in the legislature. "It has truly been a great honor."

Saland's defeat means three of the four Republicans who cast the critical votes for gay marriage won't be returning to the Senate. Sen. Roy McDonald of Saratoga County was defeated in a Republican primary and Sen. James Alesi of Monroe County retired this year after strong opposition to his vote in his district. Sen. Mark Grisanti, a freshman from Erie County, won re-election.

Those votes were among the most difficult in Albany in decades; a stressed McDonald famously said anyone who wanted to vote him out of office for the vote of conscience could "take this job and shove it."

Saland didn't mention his landmark June 2011 vote in his concession statement. But he has repeatedly said before and after the election that he doesn't regret the decision to cross the aisle in the Republican-controlled Senate to cast the deciding 32nd vote. That vote, however, drew a primary challenge that proved his downfall.