Spitzer Comeback Falls Short

It's not a night for political comebacks in New York City: Eliot Spitzer has lost his bid to become city comptroller. The former governor lost the Democratic primary to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, whose campaign repeatedly brought up the prostitution scandal that brought down Spitzer in 2008. But unlike Anthony Weiner, whose name was often paired with Spitzer by late-night comics, Spitzer's loss wasn't overwhelming: He was defeated 52% to 48%, according to the New York Times.

Spitzer spent around twice as much as Stringer and employed several Obama campaign veterans to assist in micro-targeting of voters and appeals to minority communities, but his rival had the backing of unions and major newspapers, as well as a superior get-out-the-vote operation. Stringer's wife was often by his side, while Spitzer's wife, Silda, who stood by him in 2008 but is now living separately from him, was absent from the campaign trail, Politico notes. (More Eliot Spitzer stories.)