Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long says denying legislative candidates endorsements because of their vote for same-sex marriage hasn’t changed.

“Anybody who votes to destroy traditional marriage would not receive our endorsement. That is in cement and there is no change,” he said.

But the chairman is presented with something of a quandry if Sen. Mark Grisanti, one of the four GOP yes votes for same-sex marriage in the Senate, has a new district that includes all of Erie County. That throws the decision to the county’s executive committee and takes the matter out of the central state committee’s hands.

Erie County Chairman Ralph Lorigo said Sunday that should Grisanit’s new district hold, the same-sex marriage vote isn’t necessarily the only issue the local Conservative Party officials would consider when deciding whether to grant an endorsement.

But Long said this afternoon that he hopes Lorigo “does what is correct” and gives the endorsement to someone else.

“My hope there is that the Erie County executive committee does what is correct in dealing with Grisanti and that’s denying him the endorsement,” he said.

Already there are possible challenges popping up to Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga. Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, a Melrose Republican, said at the Conservative Party Political Action Conference that he was considering a run against McDonald, but said a lot was riding on how redistricting would turn out.

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