PoliticsMark Sanfordmark sanford affairNew York

GOP Candidate For State Senate Ends Campaign After Admitting Affair

GOP Candidate For State Senate Ends Campaign After Admitting Affair
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By 

Reporter, HuffPost

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A Republican candidate for the New York state Senate ended her campaign on Wednesday after announcing that she had a recent affair.

"I have made personal decisions that have ultimately resulted in the necessity of my stepping down from the campaign,” Gia Arnold wrote on her campaign’s Facebook page. “I participated in an extramarital affair beginning in August of this year. It was an excuse for an escape from an already declining marriage. I cannot regret the decisions I have made, but I can admit to being happier presently than before.”

“It is for my ex husband, my children, my family and friends that I must publicly admit to my actions as I believe honesty and integrity are of utmost importance in life,” she added.

Arnold also published her cellphone number and said that she was willing to talk with constituents.

On her campaign website, Arnold takes conservative positions on several issues, and says she favors limited government. She also describes the importance of integrity for elected officials.

“Gia believes that becoming a politician is not the role of a leader or ruler, but instead one of a servant and representative,” her website says.

Arnold would have faced a challenger in a September primary, and it’s unclear how her affair would have impacted her electoral chances. Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.), who was caught kissing one of his staffers in April, is running for re-election and is leading one recent poll. Last year, voters in South Carolina elected Rep. Mark Sanford (R) to Congress several years after he admitted to an affair when he was the state’s governor.

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Before You Go

Political Sex Scandals
Anthony Weiner's Online Romance (01 of06)
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Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) was forced to resign following a lengthy media investigation triggered after he accidentally sent his Twitter followers a picture of himself in his underwear.In the aftermath of the initial tweet, Weiner claimed that his account had been hacked, but subsequent developments showed that he had contacted a number of other women online, at times engaging in raunchy conversation.
Eliot Spitzer Client Number 9(02 of06)
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In March 2008, a federal investigation revealed that Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D-N.Y.) had habitually patronized a high-priced prostitution agency, spending up to $80,000 on the service.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mistress(03 of06)
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Revelations surfaced earlier this year that the former California governor and movie star had fathered a child with his maid during an affair that took place during the 1990s. The child is now in his teens.In a statement to the Los Angeles Times in May, Schwarzenegger confessed to the relationship:
"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said Monday night in a statement issued to The Times in response to questions. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry."
Eric Massa's Tickling(04 of06)
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Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) resigned in 2010 following mounting questions about his conduct that culminated in a House ethics investigation of harassment allegations brought forth by a male aide.Shortly after stepping down, Massa appeared on Glenn Beck's television show and described part of an incident that had triggered the charges."Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn't breathe," he said. "I should have never allowed myself to be as familiar with my staff as I was... I own this misbehavior."
David Wu's Alleged Teen Encounter (05 of06)
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On July 26, Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) announced that he would step down pending the conclusion of ongoing negotiations to raise the debt ceiling.Wu, who had fielded prior criticism for erratic behavior in the run up to his successful 2010 reelection -- he emailed staffers a picture showing him wearing a tiger costume -- is currently facing allegations that he engaged in an unwanted sexual encounter with an 18-year-old. Wu has claimed the action was consensual.
Chris Lee's Craigslist Follies(06 of06)
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Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) took part in perhaps the shortest Washington scandal of all time earlier this year, when a report that he had sent shirtless pictures to a woman he contacted on Craigslist prompted his resignation mere hours later.
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