Anthony Weiner Returns To Twitter Amid Mayoral Speculation

ABC News' Michael Falcone reports:

It was a sexually-explicit tweet that forced Anthony Weiner to abandon his New York Congressional seat nearly two years ago, and it's Twitter that Weiner evidently intends to use to help propel his political comeback.

Weiner, who is eying a run for mayor of New York, rejoined Twitter on Monday with a new handle: @anthonyweiner

His first tweet was simply a link to his publication: "Keys To The City: 64 Ideas to Keep New York The Capitol of the Middle Class," which could be a policy blueprint for his candidacy if he decides to jump into the race.

By creating a brand new account, which has been "verified" by social media service, Weiner is seeking to make a clean break with his old username - @repweiner - from which he sent a lewd photo of himself to a woman setting off the scandal that eventually led to the seven-term Democrat's resignation in June 2011.

Since then, Weiner has only tweeted four times from his @repweiner account - twice to promote relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Sandy and once on Monday to direct users to @anthonyweiner.

Weiner's old account still has more than 67,700 followers. His new Twitter handle, meanwhile, has some catching up to do as of Monday afternoon.

Weiner hinted about his future political ambitions in a recent interview with The New York Times Magazine: "I don't have this burning, overriding desire to go out and run for office," Weiner told The Times. "It's not the single animating force in my life as it was for quite some time. But I do recognize, to some degree, it's now or maybe never for me, in terms of running for something."

If he runs he'll still face a uphill battle to overtake City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in the crowded Democratic primary for New York City Mayor.

A Quinnipiac University poll released last week put Weiner in second place behind Quinn with 15 percent support among New York City voters compared to 28 percent for her. The poll also showed Weiner underwater on favorability - 41 percent have an unfavorable view of him compared to 33 percent who see him favorably.

"With his negatives," Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said of Weiner, "the question is whether he can get much higher."