In the Middle of the Night, Weiner Announces His Bid for Mayor

Anthony Weiner, the congressman who was forced to resign in 2011 after his sexually explicit activity online surfaced, put the swirling rumors and speculation to rest as he announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City in a video that was released early Wednesday morning.

The video begins with Weiner at home with his wife, Huma Abedin, and his infant son, Jordan. The theme of family runs through the video as he talks about his childhood in Brooklyn and then transitions to his parents. His mother was a public school teacher for over 30 years and his father went to law school on the G.I. Bill and then became a practicing lawyer.

"Their's is the classic New York story: You work hard, you make it into the middle class and you make life a little bit better for your kids," Weiner says. "That's how this city was built, but it's getting harder and harder everyday."

He then transitions to discuss the importance of focusing on affordability, education and public safety. While the video mostly centers on his accomplishments in Congress and his determination to help New Yorkers, Weiner did make mention of his past.

"Look, I made some big mistakes, and I know I let a lot of people down," he said in the video. "But I've also learned some tough lessons. I'm running for mayor because I've been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life, and I hope I get a second chance to work for you."

Weiner is currently the second leading Democratic candidate for mayor with 15 percent of the vote (behind only Christine Quinn who has 25 percent), according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

The campaign video, which was published very early Wednesday morning, was "apparently posted prematurely," according to The New York Times.