Challenger Takes on Antigay N.Y. Senator

Carlos "Charlie" Ramos Jr. (pictured), a Democrat from the Bronx, has announced his intention to run against Ruben Diaz Sr., the New York state senate's most outspoken opponent of marriage equality.

"This September I will run for the State Senate and take on Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr. in the Democratic primary," wrote Ramos in an e-mail blast reported by Liz Benjamin at State of Politics.

The e-mail from Ramos confirms his support for marriage equality, which Diaz Sr., a Pentecostal minister, has stalwartly opposed. The senator was one of eight Democrats who voted against the marriage equality bill that failed in the state senate last year.

"Together, we can create a State government that will protect our children, bring jobs to those who desperately need them, and protect our civil liberties -- including the right to marriage. That is my firm conviction and that is why I am running for office," writes Ramos.

A native of the Bronx, Ramos most recently worked as the borough's liaison in the office of former comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., the 2009 Democratic mayoral nominee.

The primary election is scheduled for September 14.