Republican state Senate candidate Roy McDonald picked up the support Thursday of three Democratic elected officials, his campaign announced.

The Democrats backing McDonald are North Greenbush Councilman Al Spain Jr., Rensselaer Mayor Dan Dwyer, and former North Greenbush supervisor and councilman James Flanigan.

Also backing McDonald are "North Greenbush Supervisor Mark Evers, who ran twice for town office with the Democratic nomination; and East Greenbush Councilman Michael Cristo, who ran for office with the Democratic nomination," a McDonald statement said.

The statement said the five officials backed McDonald "because of his strong record of erasing property taxes, creating jobs, attention to local governments and grassroots concerns, protection of open space and concern for those with special needs."

The Democratic candidate is Michael Russo, who picked up the support earlier this week of Raymond Seney, who lost the Republican nomination for the seat to McDonald in the September primary. Russo and a spokesman could not immediately be reached.

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