Christine Quinn, the gay Democratic candidate who’s vying to become the next mayor of New York City has recaptured her lead in the latest opinion poll of Democratic voters.

It comes as her closet challenger, Anthony Weiner, has been rocked by fresh revelations about his private life.

On Tuesday, for the second time in three years, Mr Weiner admitted to sending sexually-explicit messages and images to women online following his resignation from Congress in 2011.

Mr Weiner insists that he will stay in the race, although voters remain split on the issue.

Less than two months before the Democratic New York City mayoral primary, a poll released on Wednesday by NBC 4 New York and the Wall Street Journal put Ms Quinn on 25% among Democratic polled supporters.

Mr Weiner, who led the field with 25% in June, has fallen to 16%.

New York Democrats were closely divided on the question of whether Mr Weiner should stay in the race, with 43% saying he should bow out and 47% saying he should stay in. But when asked if Mr Weiner deserves a second chance, fewer than half said he did – down from 59% who said that a month ago.

Independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been a key supporter of equal marriage, leaves office in January 2014.

As City Council speaker, Ms Quinn is New York City’s second most powerful public servant, behind the mayor.

In 2012, she campaigned actively against US fast food chain Chick-Fil-A over its anti-equal marriage stance.

If elected, Ms Quinn would become New York City’s first female mayor as well as its first openly gay mayor.