The Supreme Court’s rejection of the Defense of Marriage Act was personally meaningful for openly gay New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and might also translate into better poll numbers for her in New York City’s Mayoral race.
Until this week every poll conducted this year favored Quinn. However, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday has new a frontrunner, Anthony Weiner. The poll numbers signal a startling political comeback for a candidate whose career seemed finished after a sexting scandal forced him to step down from Congress. The poll has Weiner in front with 25% of the vote from registered Democrats, compared to Quinn’s 20%.
Quinn’s supporters are hoping that she can ride the defeat of DOMA back into first place in the polls. She discussed the Supreme Court decision on msnbc with Thomas Roberts and Rachel Maddow. “These are huge steps forward, both these victories, but they’re not the ultimate win, there is still work to do,” said Quinn. Polls show that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers don’t care if a mayoral candidate is gay, and Wednesday’s decision from the Supreme Court may lead to more mainstream support for Quinn.
Quinn would also get a big boost if she received an endorsement from current Mayor Michael Bloomberg. For a long time it was assumed that Bloomberg would endorse Quinn, but his silence thus far has raised speculation that he is considering supporting another candidate.
Speaker Quinn was able to get one endorsement already–from msnbc’s Chris Matthews, who told her on his show that she would make a great mayor.
On Matthews’ show, Quinn said the marriage equality movement “is becoming a mainstream movement, I think that’s what’s going to propel us forward.”
John Axelrod