Politics

Weiner blows his lead

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has slipped from his front-runner position in the race, according to the first poll conducted after new revelations emerged this week about his sexting habits.

Weiner’s favorability rating among Democrats has declined from 52 percent to 30 percent since June, while his unfavorability rating increased from 36 percent to 55 percent, according to an NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.

City Council speaker Christine Quinn, herself no stranger to scandal, now leads Weiner in the mayoral race 25 percent to 16 percent among registered Democrats. Weiner led Quinn in June, 25 percent to 20 percent.

Weiner acknowledged in a press conference Tuesday that he sent sexually provocative text messages and photographs to young women following his 2011 resignation from Congress for similar behavior.

“There are a few. I don’t have a specific number for you,” Weiner told reporters Thursday when asked how many women he sexted with. “It is not dozens and dozens. It is six to ten, I suppose.”

“I don’t believe I had any more than three,” Weiner said when asked how many sexual conversations he had with women following his resignation.

Nik Richie, who broke the most recent Weiner scandal on his website TheDirty.com, claimed in an interview that Weiner also planned to purchase a condo in Chicago that could be used as his “secret bunker” for sex.

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