Updated: Cooper 'Disappointed' Levy Won't Stand Up To Homophobes

Suffolk County Legis. Jon Cooper on Tuesday said "it took Steve Levy less than 24 hours after switching to the GOP to sell his soul."

The Lloyd Harbor Democrat said he is "personally disappointed" in the county executive's same-sex marriage comments, which he made in an interview with WNBC earlier this month. Levy, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, said he considers marriage to be between "a man and a woman."

Levy, elected county executive as a Democrat in November 2003 after serving in the Legislature as well as the state Assembly, officially declared his candidacy, as well as his new party affiliation, earlier this month.

"When I saw his comments, I shot him a text and posted on both my Twitter and Facebook pages a message saying, 'Thanks a lot, Steve. I'll share your opinion with my husband Rob and my five kids,'" said Cooper, who is openly gay and was married in Connecticut on April 30, 2009 to his longtime partner. He said that the county executive has met Rob Cooper and the couple's children socially several times. The couple have been together for 30 years.

Cooper, the Democratic majority leader who was elected to his sixth term in November, said that Levy's saying whatever it takes to get elected governor. Levy is expected to face Rick Lazio, a former county Legislator and member of the House of Representatives, for the GOP nomination. Lazio may best be known for losing a Senate bid to Hillary Clinton in 2000.

"He is pandering to conservatives," Cooper said. "He knew when he got in to bed with Republicans where that would lead, but he's turning in to a social conservative. He's not focused on the general election. He wants to win the Conservative primary and to do that, to win, he has to take these conservative positions.I just thought he had more backbone than that."

Addition: "We've had the most progressive benefits package for domestic partners of any administration in county history," Levy said in response.