Putin's ally wins Moscow mayoral election

Alexei Navalny prepares to cast his ballot during a mayoral election in Moscow, on September 8, 2013, with his daughter, Dasha.Sergey Sobyanin wins election with more than 51% of voteBlogger and anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny scores 27%Navalny has been convicted for embezzlement, but ran while out on bailDespite Navalny's loss, some call it a breakthrough

Moscow (CNN) -- There wasn't a shadow of a doubt that former presidential aide and interim mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin would win the mayoral race against blogger and anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny, not as President Vladimir Putin's hand-picked man.

The only question was by how much. Anything less than 50% would have meant a run-off election.

Opinion: Putin, a hypocrite on Snowden, Navalny

There will not be a run-off. Sobyanin squeaked by with 51.37% of the vote. Navalny won 27.24%.

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Navalny can ask for a re-count but there is little chance he will get a run-off. Putin can rest assured that his man will retain the powerful post of Moscow mayor.

Read more: What's behind conviction of Navalny?

But the opposition are taking heart from Navalyny's strong showing.

As Ksenya Sobchak, once Russia's "Paris Hilton" and now a vocal member of the opposition tweeted: "Now, Alexey is a politician of federal standing, and prison is unthinkable."

Up to now, Navalyny was known mainly in Moscow and St. Petersburg as a crusader against government corruption, calling out politicians for illegal behavior. He was a leader of the 2012 street demonstrations in Moscow, motivating educated, middle-class young people in Russia's big cities with blogs and Tweets.

The Kremlin's game with Alexei Navalny

Kremlinologist Olga Kryshtanovskaya, in post-election Tweet, said "Navalny's high results in the election is directly connected to his activity in the social media."

In a striking political anomaly, the 37-year-old Navalny ran for mayor as a convicted man, currently on bail after being sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement. He claims the charges were politically inspired to sideline him from politics and is appealing the sentence.

Before the mayoral vote some observers predicted that, if Navalny's supporters felt the election had been stolen, they would turn out again for street protests. A demonstration was planned in advance for Monday evening.

But some Kremlin opponents don't sound that angry; they're taking heart from the vote totals.

In another Tweet Ksenya Sobchak said "It was understood right from the beginning that they would do absolutely everything to avoid a second round, isn't that true? But the fact that Navalyny got more than 27% -- that's cool!"

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Weiner's campaign manager in NY mayoral race quits

NEW YORK — Anthony Weiner vowed to stay in the race for New York City mayor Sunday despite the loss of his campaign manager and the drumbeat of critics questioning his fitness for public office after new revelations of lewd online behavior.

Weiner confirmed that campaign manager Danny Kedem resigned Saturday after reports surfaced that Weiner had continued to exchange lewd photos and messages with women despite resigning from Congress in 2011 over the same behavior

?We have an amazing staff, but this isn?t about the people working on the campaign. It?s about the people we?re campaigning for,? Weiner said after speaking at a Brooklyn church.

Weiner said he would keep talking about ?ideas for the middle class and people struggling to make it every single day? and added, ?We knew this was going to be a tough campaign.?

Kedem had managed the re-election of John DeStefano Jr. to a 10th term as mayor of New Haven in 2011 and worked on Hillary Rodham Clinton?s failed 2008 presidential campaign.

The 31-year-old Kedem was credited with helping Weiner pull into the lead among the crowded field of Democratic primary candidates before the latest revelations about Weiner?s raunchy online exchanges with women.

Christine Quinn, who is bidding to be the city?s first female mayor, led the race before Weiner jumped in but slipped behind him in most polls over the past two months. But a one-day poll conducted after Weiner?s latest revelations has Quinn leading Weiner in the race for the Democratic nomination. The mayoral primary is Sept. 10, and the general election is Nov. 5. The primary winner needs to get at least 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff with the No. 2 vote-getter.

Quinn, who is speaker of the New York City Council, said on NBC television?s ?Meet the Press? that Weiner has shown ?a pattern of reckless behavior, an inability to tell the truth and a real lack of maturity and responsibility.?

Unlike other candidates who have urged Weiner to end his campaign, Quinn said opponents should not ?say who should or shouldn?t get in and out of races.?

But she questioned whether he is the right person to lead the city.

?Has he disqualified himself? Yes, he?s disqualified himself,? Quinn said. ?But not just because of these scandals, though that certainly has. He didn?t have the qualifications when he was in Congress.?

Later on the NBC program, David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama , accused Weiner of ?wasting time and space.? Axelrod, who noted that his former firm is working for another mayoral candidate, said Americans ?believe in second chances, but not third chances.?

On CNN?s ?State of the Union,? Republican U.S. Rep. Peter King, the target of a blistering 2010 attack from Weiner over a bill to provide free medical services for World Trade Center recovery workers, said Weiner is ?not psychologically qualified to be mayor of the city of New York.?

Weiner was forced to discuss his online behavior this past week after a gossip website printed excerpts of conversations Weiner had with Indiana college student Sydney Leathers last summer.

With his wife, Huma Abedin, a former top aide to Hillary Clinton, alongside, Weiner apologized and promised that the ?behavior is behind me.? He later admitted that he had traded racy messages with at least three women since leaving office.

He vowed to stay in the race, saying he believed ?people care more about their futures than my past with my wife and my embarrassing things.?

William Eimicke, a Columbia University professor of public management who has held New York City and New York state government posts, said the defection of his campaign manager could cripple Weiner?s campaign.

?I think he?s toast!? Eimicke said in an email.

But veteran city political consultant Bob Liff discounted the effect of the resignation.

?I don?t know that the campaign manager makes that much of a difference,? Liff said. ?I wouldn?t write anybody out.?

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