Albany, N.Y. (AP) - Republican primary voters in New York last week punished two incumbents who voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
They also fired a potential warning shot nationwide toward GOP lawmakers who could soon face tough votes in their states.
Lawrence Levy is executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University. He says gay marriage presents Republicans with a difficult task.
Republicans in battleground districts have a tricky path to walk. They must gain support from their base of conservatives who are opposed to gay marriage. At the same time, they can't turn off moderate voters who support gay marriage and who the candidate will need in a general election.
In Maryland, Washington state and Maine, public votes on gay marriage are scheduled for this fall.
