Controversial New York City candidates Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer have both garnered consistent support from the African-American community.
In the New York City mayor’s race, Wiener’s overall support has dropped off following his admission that he continued ‘sexting’ women other than his wife after he was initially caught and resigned from Congress in 2011.
A Quinnipiac University Poll released July 29 found that 40 percent of voters say Weiner’s behavior disqualifies him from consideration as a candidate, compared to only 23 percent last week.
While Weiner only received 7 percent of the white likely Democratic voters, he received 24 percent of votes from black likely voters.
Weiner received the highest percentage of African-American votes in the poll, even though there is a viable black candidate, Bill Thompson, running as well.
An overall majority of the likely Democratic voters polled feel Weiner should drop out, but the among the black voters polled 53 percent feel he should stay in the race.
Former governor Eliot Spitzer, who is currently running for city comptroller, also resigned from his former position due to extra-marital activities.
“Spitzer’s resignation as governor after he turned up as a prostitute’s ‘Client 9’ is a legitimate issue, voters say, but they don’t think it disqualifies him as a candidate,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said.
Spitzer is up in a July 25 Quinnipiac University Poll of likely Democratic voters 49 percent to Stringer’s 45 percent.
The former governor also has a commanding lead in black voters who were polled, receiving 63 percent of their votes.
According to the polls, there is a higher chance of a politician being forgiven by African-American voters than white voters.
“We are less likely to be influenced by media attacks because most of our leaders and people who have stood for us have been subjected to media attacks,” Rev. Al Sharpton said, according to USA Today. “You almost can have the opposite response in the black community, because those we have respected the most have been attacked the most.”
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