Democratic leaders have chosen a state lawmaker from Queens to replace former Rep. Anthony Weiner, who resigned his seat in New York's 9th Congressional District last month after a sexting scandal.
Assemblyman David Weprin, 55, was expected to be formally nominated Friday by leaders of the Queens and Brooklyn Democratic parties, an adviser to Weprin said Thursday. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because the nomination had not been announced.
Weprin will be heavily favored to win the special election for the seat Sept. 13. While Republicans are expected to announce a nominee soon, no Republican has ever won the seat and the national party was not expected to invest significant resources in the contest.
Weprin was elected to the Assembly in 2010 after serving in the City Council for eight years. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for city comptroller in 2009.
Weiner stepped down in the middle of his seventh term after admitting he had sent sexually suggestive texts and photos to women he met on Twitter and other social networking sites. He remained popular in the district until the end, with polls showing a majority of residents did not believe he needed to resign.
New York is set to lose two House seats next year, based on the results of the 2010 census.
