John Eligon of the New York Times:

With a blunt one-liner — “They can take the job and shove it” — describing his disregard for the political consequences of his decision to support same-sex marriage last year, Senator Roy J. McDonald, a Republican from Saratoga, became a hero to gay rights groups.

But now, some of Mr. McDonald’s onetime supporters seem to be taking his punchy invitation to heart.

The Republican committee in Mr. McDonald’s hometown, Wilton, where he was town supervisor, this week shunned him by endorsing one of his potential opponents in his re-election campaign. Mr. McDonald has also been spurned by Republican committees in Malta and Halfmoon, though they have not endorsed an alternative candidate, The Troy Record reported.

Elaine Gerber, vice chairwoman of the Wilton Republican Committee, said Mr. McDonald’s words were a factor in her decision to vote against him. “If I said that to the person who hired me, I would be fired,” she said. “Obviously, he didn’t care if I fired him.”

Mr. McDonald is the second of the four Republican senators who supported same-sex marriage to face direct political trouble as all state lawmakers prepare to face voters this year.

Last week, Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican who also supported same-sex marriage, lost the support of the Erie County Conservative Party, which played a crucial role in his election to his first term two years ago. The state’s Conservative Party said it would oppose the re-election of the four senators, and the National Organization for Marriage pledged to try to defeat them.