Gay Group Log Cabin Republicans Joins New York Gay Marriage Push

By JACOB GERSHMAN

In the midst of a re-energized campaign by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a coalition of gay-rights activists to legalize gay marriage in New York, a trio of Republican consultants is playing a quiet but pivotal role in the push for passage.

Under the direction of a political advocacy group backed by Colorado software mogul Tim Gill, two former top Senate Republican aides and a former legislative adviser to the Log Cabin Republicans are working behind the scenes to capture crucial votes in the GOP-led Senate.

The Gill Action Fund, a national group with an expansive donor network, has recruited lobbyist Michael Avella, a former chief counsel to ex-Senate majority leader Joe Bruno and current leader Dean Skelos, and John McArdle, a consultant who ran GOP Senate communications under Messrs. Bruno and Skelos. The two are also working with Jeff Cook, who was a lobbyist for the Log Cabin Republicans.

The debate over gay marriage has again intensified in Albany two years after gay-rights advocates and donors suffered a lopsided defeat on the Senate floor. A new coalition of gay-rights groups, with the backing of Mr. Cuomo, is leading the latest charge. They plan to raise $1 million for a media campaign and have hired Jennifer Cunningham, one of Mr. Cuomo's closest political advisers, to help direct the effort.

But that momentum alone, say some advocates, may not be enough to split apart the nucleus of opposition to the bill in the Senate. The Democrat-led Assembly has twice voted in favor of same-sex marriage.

While polls indicate that a clear majority of New Yorkers support gay marriage, the bill is still a hard sell for a number of Republicans, even those in more moderate districts. An important factor is pressure from the state Conservative Party, a small but influential third party that has given a number of vulnerable Republicans a decisive boost in tight races.

Conservative Party chairman Michael Long said the state party wouldn't endorse any Republican who votes for the bill. "I feel very strongly that we will prevail. We consider it a line in the sand and very detrimental to a legislator if he or she votes to destroy marriage as we know it," he said.

Advocates behind the coalition, who are working in tandem with the Republican strategists, say they're confident that they can persuade enough Republicans that a vote for gay marriage doesn't pose the political risk it once did.

"We will obviously be disappointed if the Conservative Party decides to make a position of conscience a litmus test for electoral support, especially since marriage equality is supported by a super-majority of New Yorkers," said Brian Ellner, an advocate for the Human Rights Campaign, one of the organizations involved in the coalition. The coalition also includes the Empire State Pride Agenda.

Still, the targeted outreach in the conference is a recognition that celebrity appeals, radio and television commercials, rallies and Mr. Cuomo's influence have the potential to swing public opinion but not necessarily enough Republican votes. Legalizing gay marriage was a campaign promise of Mr. Cuomo's.

Advocates say they'll need at least three Republican votes to get to the 32 needed for passage in the Senate. But they may need more than that if they don't pick up the support of three Democrats—Shirley Huntley and Joseph Addabbo of Queens and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn—who voted against the measure in 2009. Calls to the three weren't returned.

No Republican has voiced support for same-sex marriage, while at least two have indicated that their position isn't settled.

Last week, a Republican whom gay-rights groups have mentioned as a potential ally, signaled he was a no vote. Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, who was elected in the fall, told a public forum that he won't vote for a bill that uses the term "gay marriage," a spokesman said. The senator said he supports civil unions but thinks the notion of "gay marriage" has "too many undetermined legal implications," the spokesman said.

Mr. Skelos has said he would bring a gay-marriage bill to a vote if he gets the go-ahead from his conference.

Deputy Majority Leader Tom Libous of Binghamton said he would vote against a measure. "At the end of the day, an elected official has to decide what's in the best interest for their district. It's no different than any other tough issue."

Write to Jacob Gershman at jacob.gershman@wsj.com