Former congressman Anthony Weiner, who hoped to resurrect his scandal-plagued political career, was soundly defeated in his bid for a New York City Council seat Tuesday night by a man named Harvey Epstein. The ironic defeat — losing to someone whose name combines two infamous sex offenders, Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein — caps Weiner’s attempted comeback after multiple sexting scandals, prison time, and years of public disgrace.

Weiner’s Spectacular Political Downfall

Anthony Weiner, once a rising Democratic star who served over a decade in Congress, first saw his career implode in 2011 when he accidentally posted explicit photos intended for a woman on his public Twitter feed. The scandal forced his resignation from Congress and derailed what many believed would be a promising political trajectory in the Democrat party.

But Weiner’s fall was far from over, as he later pleaded guilty in 2017 to sending obscene material to a 15-year-old girl. This second, more serious scandal resulted in a 21-month prison sentence and required him to register as a sex offender upon his release in 2019.

After his release from federal custody, Weiner worked as a radio host and briefly ran a countertop company before announcing his bid for New York City Council earlier this year. His campaign focused on positioning himself as a centrist with practical solutions for city problems, but voters clearly weren’t buying what the disgraced Democrat was selling.

The final results from Tuesday’s Democratic primary showed Weiner finishing a distant fourth with just 10.3% of the vote, while Harvey Epstein dominated the race with 39% support. The defeat effectively ends Weiner’s attempted political rehabilitation and reinforces how difficult it remains for politicians with serious sexual misconduct issues to regain public trust.

The Irony of His Opponent’s Name

The symbolism of Weiner’s defeat at the hands of someone named Harvey Epstein was not lost on political observers. Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, while Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, have become synonymous with sexual predation.

praying this is the last Anthony Weiner mailer that vaguely references the fact that he served time in prison after sexting a 15 year old girl pic.twitter.com/uNNOVKWZYG

— allison (@allisongeroi) June 24, 2025

For a politician attempting to move past his own sex crimes, losing to someone who coincidentally shares names with two notorious sex offenders represents a remarkable twist of political fate. Conservative commentators were quick to note the poetic justice of the electoral outcome, especially given Weiner’s history of inappropriate sexual behavior.

It’s worth noting that Harvey Epstein, a former New York State Assembly member with a solid political record, has no connection to either Jeffrey Epstein or Harvey Weinstein. He ran on his established credentials and experience rather than exploiting his opponent’s scandalous past.

Weiner’s campaign struggled from the start to overcome skepticism about his motives and genuine rehabilitation. Many voters remembered not only his personal scandals but also how his behavior indirectly impacted the 2016 presidential election when FBI investigations into his devices led to a reopening of the Hillary Clinton email probe just days before voting began.

A Failed Attempt at Redemption

During his campaign, Weiner attempted to address his checkered past directly, acknowledging that his misconduct would be a significant hurdle to overcome. “Since I am asking you for your vote again, I want to address the elephant in the room… I accepted responsibility, I did my time (literally) and paid my debt to society in full,” Weiner stated in campaign materials.

He also attributed his behavior to addiction issues, saying, “I was dealing with what I now understand to be addiction.” This explanation failed to resonate with Manhattan’s Second District voters, who clearly preferred candidates without Weiner’s baggage.

“I accepted responsibility, I did my time (literally) and paid my debt to society in full”

While Democrats frequently criticize Republicans for alleged sexual misconduct, they’ve shown remarkable tolerance for their own party members with similar problems. Weiner’s case appears to be an exception where the severity and repetitive nature of his indiscretions finally exceeded the Democratic voters’ willingness to forgive.

Anthony Weiner is, rightfully, getting his ass handed to him

Say hello to Harvey Epstein! pic.twitter.com/kqUZtGUTQY

— Polling USA (@USA_Polling) June 25, 2025

Andrea Gordillo, another candidate in the race who finished with 23.7% of the vote, had criticized Weiner’s candidacy, suggesting that his campaign was more about personal redemption than public service. “Our district needs a leader who will champion our community’s needs, not use our time of need as their platform for a comeback story,” she said, clearly resonating with voters more than Weiner’s promises.

The Clinton Connection

Weiner’s political career remains intertwined with the Clintons through his marriage to Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton. The FBI’s discovery of Clinton-related emails on Weiner’s laptop during their investigation into his sexting with a minor led then-FBI Director James Comey to reopen the Clinton email investigation just days before the 2016 election.

Many Democrats, including Clinton herself, have blamed Comey’s announcement for her narrow loss to Donald Trump. The irony that Weiner’s personal misconduct may have contributed to Trump’s victory has not been lost on Democratic voters, particularly in deep-blue Manhattan.

Abedin filed for divorce from Weiner after his guilty plea in 2017, though the case was later withdrawn from court to be settled privately. Their marriage had already survived his previous scandals, including his infamous 2013 mayoral campaign where he used the pseudonym “Carlos Danger” for online sexual conversations while Abedin stood by him.

Weiner’s defeat marks yet another failed attempt by a disgraced politician to rehabilitate their public image. While some politicians have successfully returned from scandal, the severity and nature of Weiner’s offenses, particularly those involving a minor, appear to have permanently damaged his political viability in a way that even New York City’s notoriously forgiving Democratic voters couldn’t overlook.

Sources:

Anthony Weiner Is Attempting Another Political Comeback. Yes, Really.

Anthony Weiner Humiliated, Loses Comeback Race to Man with Same Name as Infamous Pedophile, Rapist