While a growing bipartisan chorus of Capitol Hill lawmakers say embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner should resign, a majority of his constituents say otherwise, a new poll says.
Fifty-six percent of registered voters in Mr. Weiner’s New York’s 9th Congressional District don’t think he should resign from the House, while 33 percent say he should, according to results of a Wednesday poll conducted jointly by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion and NY1, a New York City cable news channel.
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Twelve percent of the survey’s respondents said they aren’t sure if the lawmaker should quit or stay.
The telephone survey of 512 adults was taken two days after Mr. Weiner’s Monday admission that he sent a lewd photo of himself via Twitter to a college student after initially lying about the incident.
“Congressman Weiner’s constituents are drawing a line between his ethical conduct and professional judgment,” said Lee M. Miringoff, director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “The bottom line: they’re still in his corner on the question of resignation.
“As for his re-election prospects, that’s still very much up in the air.”
Voters are weighing in on the line between his private life and his public responsibilities, as 46 percent of the survey’s respondents say the scandal was solely a lapse in personal judgment, while 10 percent say it brings into question primarily his professional judgment.
Twenty-nine percent said they aren’t confident in either his personal or professional judgment, while 15 percent said they don’t view this as an issue of judgment.
When it comes to the legality of Mr. Weinter’s Internet actions, nearly three-in-four adults in the 9th district — 73 percent — say he acted unethically but not illegally, the NY1-Marist Poll shows. Eleven percent said he acted illegally, while 9 percent report he did nothing wrong. Seven percent said they aren’t sure.
But voters in the district are torn about how effective he will be in carrying out his duties in Congress if he doesn’t step down. Forty-eight percent said the congressman would be effective if he stayed in office, with 43 percent saying wouldn’t be.
