Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, is rarely reticent on the campaign trail, doling out rhetorical jabs and gibes and regularly earning laughter from crowds.
But Ms. Quinn, a Democratic candidate for mayor, has been notably subdued this week on the topic that everyone else is talking about: former Representative Anthony D. Weiner and his potential run for City Hall.
As other candidates rushed to offer ambiguously earnest invitations for Mr. Weiner to enter the race, Ms. Quinn issued a terse statement through her campaign, saying simply that the decision of the former congressman from Queens was between him and his family.
On Wednesday, faced with a pack of reporters eager for her to expound on a potential Weiner candidacy, Ms. Quinn managed to answer several questions on the topic without once uttering Mr. Weiner’s name, or even directly acknowledging the fact that he could soon become a major force in her political life.
Instead, Ms. Quinn stuck to what sounded like a prepared, somewhat stilted response, saying she felt “incredibly confident†about her chances, “regardless of who I am running against.†Each question about Mr. Weiner was answered with remarks that were all about Ms. Quinn.
“I think people â€" women and men â€" will vote for me because they want to keep this city moving forward,†Ms. Quinn said, when asked if she believed Mr. Weiner’s personal troubles would pose a problem with female voters.
Finally, Ms. Quinn was asked if she had gleaned any sense of public opinion about Mr. Weiner during what she calls her walk-and-talk tours around the city.
The Council speaker let loose one of her signature explosive laughs.
“Typically, when I walk and talk, we talk about me,†she said, flashing a wide smile. She added: “And we talk about the New Yorker and whatever their issue is.â€
Ms. Quinn was speaking with reporters in Riverside Park in Manhattan, where she was endorsed by several prominent New York City women, including Ruth W. Messinger, a Democrat who ran for mayor in 1997, and Liz Abzug, the daughter of Bella Abzug, who ran for mayor in 1977. Two other endorsers, the actress Whoopi Goldberg and the author Anna Quindlen, did not appear at the event.
Ms. Quinn’s campaign also distributed a list of “almost 1,000 women from all five boroughs†who are supporting the speaker in the mayor’s race. The list included many local activists and some boldface names, including the feminist Gloria Steinem and the Broadway producer Daryl Roth, and several of Ms. Quinn’s current and former staff members.
