Photo courtesy of Maloney's Congressional staff
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of New York married his partner of 22 years, Randy Gene Florke, this past Saturday, June 21, at the Church of St. Mary-in-the-Highlands in Cold Spring, NY, according to CBS New York.
Representative Maloney, 47, and Florke, 51, have already been together 22 years, but decided to tie the knot in December after their 11-year-old daughter Essie asked Santa to make her dads get married. All three of their children -- including 24-year-old Reinel and 13-year-old Daley -- were in attendance.
Maloney is New York's first out gay member of Congress and now one of only two Congress people married to a person of the same sex.
"Even after 22 years together, we're overwhelmed by how blessed we feel to celebrate this special day with our friends and family. With our three kids by our side, this couldn't have been a more perfect day. Thank you to all our friends near and far for their love and support as we continue to fight to ensure all families can experience the joys of a lifetime commitment," Maloney and Florke said in a statement.
According to reports, attendees included: Rep. Nancy Pelosi; Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland; and Rep. Joe Kennedy, from Massachusetts. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were not present, however.
Several notables tweeted out congratulations, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a champion of marriage equality in the state.
The couple don't have time for a honeymoon, though: Maloney is in a primary election on Tuesday against former Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth. He told USA Today that he was "dancing between the raindrops" -- squeezing in a wedding between that primary election and a short trip to Afghanistan with other politicos.
"There's real work to do and I don't plan to stop doing that work because there are other important events in my life," he told USA Today. "I pride myself on being able to prioritize my family and my children, but also do the work I was hired to do.''
