Anthony Weiner concedes mayor race: 'I was an imperfect messenger'

Anthony Weiner delivered his concession mayoral speech Tuesday night before a raucous crowd who, despite their candidate's implosion after he was exposed to have had sexted Sydney Leathers after his resignation from Congress, cheered his campaign.

"Sadly we did not win this time, but I could not be more proud of the campaign that we ran," Weiner said at his primary night party at Connolly's Pub on 47th Street. "I could not be more proud of you."

He went on: "We had the best ideas. Sadly, I was an imperfect messenger."

Weiner, 49, was surrounded by his aides and others involved with his campaign, but his wife, Huma Abedin, was reportedly not there.

Weiner entered the race early in the summer after a largely flattering New York Times Magazine profile, in which he repented for the sexting scandal that ended his congressional career.

After leading polls early in the summer, Weiner's campaign began to sink after Leathers, a 23-year-old Indiana woman, came forward with photos and texts showing she had an online affair with the former Congressman after he resigned that lasted up to last November. (Leathers made an appearance at Weiner's party.)

At the end of his speech, Weiner vowed to continue to stand behind New York's middle class.

"I will never stop ... fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it," Weiner said. "if we keep fighting, and i hope you will, if you keep fighting, i'm gonna keep fighting, and we're gonna keep new york the capital of the middle class."