Disgraced ex-congressman Weiner says he's running for NYC mayor
(CNN) – It’s official.
After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announced in a YouTube video posted to his campaign website late Tuesday that he is running for mayor of New York City.
“Look, I’ve made some big mistakes and I know I’ve let a lot of people down. But I’ve also learned some tough lessons,” Weiner says in the video. “I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it for my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you.”
His campaign told CNN he does not have any events planned for Wednesday.
Now that Weiner is in the race, the Democrat will undoubtedly face questions from voters and fellow candidates about the 2011 scandal that eventually led to his resignation from Congress.
His political career was derailed after he was found sending lewd photos and messages to multiple women. At first he lied, claiming his Twitter was hacked, but he later admitted to the indiscretions and left the House of Representatives.
But the former congressman from Brooklyn says he’s hoping for a second chance, and has been not-so-quietly testing the waters about a mayoral bid in recent months.
Rumors began swirling in January, after a filing with the New York City Campaign Finance Board revealed that Weiner’s mayoral campaign committee, created ahead of his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2005 race, had a healthy $4.5 million cash pile.
Weiner later admitted in a lengthy, repentant New York Times Magazine profile in April that he was eyeing the mayor’s race, and confirmed that his political committee had spent more than $100,000 on polling and research.
Also in April, Weiner released a detailed plan outlining his ideas for the city. Called “Keys to the City,” the document, which appears to be a reworked version of a plan Weiner released during his 2009 campaign, lays out 64 ideas to revitalize New York City’s middle class.
Weiner asks New Yorkers for feedback on his plan in his video announcement, which also features a rare appearance from his wife Huma Abedin.
A longtime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Abedin stayed mostly silent throughout her husband’s scandal, but has been publicly expressing support for his political comeback of late.
“We love this city, and no one will work harder to make it better than Anthony,” Huma says in the video.
This will be Weiner’s third run for mayor of the Big Apple – he ran in 2005 and launched a bid in 2009, but later dropped out when the city council extended the mayor's term limits, allowing incumbent Michael Bloomberg to run again.
Two polls conducted in April indicated that Weiner would jump to second place in the race for Democratic nomination, but would still trail by double digits frontrunner Christine Quinn, the city council president.
Asked about Weiner's candidacy at a forum in New York Wednesday, Quinn wouldn't mention her new rival by name.
"This race, I don't care who's in it, is about what the candidates have done for New York's middle class and what our vision is for New York's middle class moving forward," Quinn said. "And I don't care who enters the race. Nobody has a better, stronger, clearer record of delivering for working class and middle class New Yorkers than I do, and nobody has the set of specific ideas, plans and visions like I do."
–Kevin Liptak, Ashley Killough, Paul Steinhauser and Leigh Remizowski contributed to this report.
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Newt ran for president, the problem with weiner(other than his name) is that he is a democrat
A democrat actually has get the woman vote, so this conduct doesn't play
Conservatives are the definition of hypocrites. Look at all the post on here talking about liberals having no moral compass, and how dumb liberals are to re elect this guy. Are you people serious? This is why you have no credibility. Didn't conservatives just re elect their disgraced ex governor Sanford to Congress? And he broke laws and spent tax payer money to visit his mistress. Weiner did nothing illegal and got ran out of congress for taking pics of his privates. And did you righteous morally sound conservatives forget about Senator Vitter who got caught with prostitutes and still kept his job and even got re elected again. So yeah liberals are the dumb immoral dirt bags who keep electing these immoral politicians right. Conservative = hypocrite.
SCAM..........Does he really think that we forget how he lied......Once a lie always a lie.No trust there.....NYC is smarter than that
I am sure all the ultra orthodox will vote for him so they can keep freeloading off the taxpayers
Liberals are crazy:
The funniest thing about ALL the posts on here is that 'liberals' keep bringing up Stanford of SC and calling the GOP hypocrites..... Well, there is not a single 'conservative' post (at this point) that says that he shouldn't be mayor because he texted images of his junk to college students (and accidentally to everyone).
It his the liberal posters are feeling guilty that this is their best candidate and feel the need to defend him against any scrutiny.
Disappointed he is not running for national office. The rest of the country needs a strong advocate for the middle class. Seeing as how we can't get that AND a politician whose personal life is of the highest caliber in the same package, I would vote for Weiner in a heartbeat. Why is it the men who are faithful to their wives and families and self-controlled about their sexuality are ineffective in the public arena?
Bill
"This should not be a surprise to anyone, this is a Democrat, and when Democrats commit crimes of any kind that would put a tax payer in jail, they only get elected or promoted. Now this has been demonstrated over and over with Democrats on more than one occasion."
Mark Sanford is a Democrat? Wow!
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Or David Vitter? Or Mark Foley? Or John Ensign?
Weiner should find a job like the rest of us. I sure hope he will not succeed. The politicians are all the same, corrupt liars and just no good. Do not vote for this guy.
As a “Kickoff” for his campaign, how about Weiner having a giant billboard in Time Square with a picture of him “Mooning” New York?
ALL politicians are narcissists by definition – regardless of party. They just can't help themselves. Why else would someone who was disgraced in such a public manner, put himself out there again? If he wants to run, so what? I suspect NY voters will choose another option anyway.
Sorry bud, we liberals do not forgive even a small stupidity....Republicans on the other hand love their criminals.
Sanford/Weiner 2016 ! Dosen't matter which party, these people have no shame.
Oh joy, I have been anxiously awaiting to hear what those who willingly re-elected Mark Sanford, have to say!
Ironic
Are you kiddding me? Can you read, every conservative poster on here is saying he is too corrupt to run, and that liberals are devoid of morals if they vote for this guy, and that this is typical for a democrat. Yet conseravtives have done this time and time again. Do you even know what hypocrite means? Your post makes no sense at all.
crooket
Weiner should find a job like the rest of us. I sure hope he will not succeed.
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You hope he doesn't find a job? Regardless of how you feel about his politics it's really hateful to hope someone is unable to find a job and support their family.
Loathstheright
Sorry bud, we liberals do not forgive even a small stupidity....Republicans on the other hand love their criminals.
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You know, you're absolutely correct! Perhaps he should change his party affiliation to (R).
Made this point on another site. He probably stand little to no chance of winning AND not because some may consider what he did to be unethical or immoral, etc. No not at all, people will forgive, forget, overlook behavior they find distasteful, immoral or unethical.
Unfortunately what is UNFORGIVABLE in today's digital age is anything that causes EMBARRASSMENT. As soon as he became the butt of jokes for the late night hosts and the butt of jokes around water coolers (ie: became UNCOOL) then he lost the race. Personally I think that is kind of sad that being uncool is worse than being a louse but that is the society we live in when subscribe to an MTV Teen Mom type culture.
THE PERFECT LIB / PROGRESSIVE / DEMOCRAT
FOR
NEW YORK CITY
FORWARD >>> >>> >>>
To absolute DEPRAVITY
Yes WE Can
Come on NYC, as the so-called "liberal bastion" of the nation, let's show everyone that you have more class and self-respect than the voters of South Carolina and send this piker packin'!
Weiner/Holder 2016
Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
take a close look at his enemies. then you'll know whether he's your friend.
Hillary Clinton 2016 by a LANDSLIDE! And don't try to blame her for the Benghazi attacks!
You really want to know what are scandals? Then just google the following:
-George W. Bush's Warrantless NSA wiretapping/surveillance program implemented by executive order
-The 2007 Justice Department's dismissal of 8 U.S. Attorneys
-The Bush White House email scandal in violation of the 1978 Presidential Records Act and the 1939 Hatch Act
-The Libby scandal
-What CIA Director George Tenet told George W. Bush about intelligence findings confirming that Iraq possessed NO WMDS
-Predatory Lender's Partner in Crime
FYI to "Free Man in the Republic of Texas". NYC has had a Republican mayor for the last 20 years.