CAPITAL REGION — Gov. Eliot Spitzer, linked Monday to an expensive prostitution ring, found little support among Capital Region political observers, with reactions ranging from sadness to disbelief and strong doubt about his ability to lead any longer.

“If the reports are true, Spitzer is in big, big trouble, and not just with his wife,” said Joseph Zimmerman, a professor of political science at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. “If what [we’re hearing] is fact, he’ll probably be indicted by the U.S. Attorney.”

That’s because Spitzer might have violated the Mann Act, which makes it a felony to transport women across state lines “for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose, or with the intent and purpose to induce, entice or compel such a woman or girl” to immoral acts. “It’s a very simple case for a jury to convict,” Zimmerman said. “He’s probably going to conclude that the prospects for conviction under the Mann Act are very, very good, and that, under the circumstances, rather than having the controversy continue for an extended period of time, it may be better to resign.”

“Many people may not be aware of the Mann Act,” Zimmerman said. “They may see this as just a scandal. ... But [if this is true] he clearly violated the Mann Act, and that’s bad news for him, and bad news for his family. For his family, it really is a tragedy.”

Alan Chartock, political commentator and professor emeritus at University at Albany, agreed. “This is a lot worse than having an affair,” he said. “He’s fully aware he’s breaking the law. At the very least, it’s a terrible lapse in judgment. … Girlfriends are one thing. Lots of people have girlfriends. Lots of people have boyfriends. Prostitutes are different.”

Helen Desfosses, an associate professor of public affairs and social policy at Rockefeller College, suggested Spitzer may end up making a deal with prosecutors. “This isn’t only a political question,” Desfosses said. “It’s a legal issue.”

Chartock said, “The fact of the matter is that he’s governor of New York. He’s prosecuted prostitutes. What could he have been thinking?”

In New York, any elected official who is convicted of a felony must resign.

On Monday, political observers expressed shock at Spitzer’s stunning political fall, one that was harder than most, given his reputation as reformer.

“This is whatever the largest number on the Richter Scale is,” Desfosses said. “I’m totally stunned. I couldn’t be more stunned if my mother was involved.”

Desfosses raised “a lot” of money for Spitzer. She cheered his election — “I couldn’t wait until he got into office” — and believed that, after a disastrous first year, the trajectory was up. “When I think about the people who uprooted their entire lives to serve in his administration, I feel sad,” she said. “I’m struck by the human tragedy. I saw people who work with him who had tears in their eyes today.”

As of Monday night, Spitzer had yet to resign, but political observers said that it will be difficult for him to lead now, no matter what happens.

“This removes his moral authority,” said Gerald Benjamin, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at SUNY New Paltz. “This brings into question his ability to govern.”

“Governors in other states have been rogues and accepted as rogues,” said Benjamin, a political scientist. But that’s not true of Spitzer. “If you read his biography, there’s no discussion of sex or play, except for competitive athletics. … This an extremely sad moment. It’s sad for the state.”

Benjamin noted that Spitzer’s first year was challenging, bogged down by the Troopergate scandal and his feud with the Legislature. What Spitzer is accused of is “a little different” than the “sexual peccadilloes we’re accustomed to hearing about,” such as affairs and the “hijinks people in Albany get into away from their spouses,” Benjamin said. Like others, he suggested that Spizer had squandered an opportunity to change New York for the better. “There’s an extremely high cost to this,” he said.

“Spitzer ran for office as a reformer,” Zimmerman said. “He’s on record as being a very ethical person, until this. I really was not expecting anything like this. I never thought they’d dig up anything of this nature.”

Zimmerman suggested that women, in particular, may feel betrayed by Spitzer.

Chartock described Spitzer as a “brilliant lawyer” who made a “colossal mistake in judgment.”

“I’m really unhappy, because I had such high hopes for Gov. Spitzer,” Chartock said.

Benjamin said that if Spitzer resigns, the line of succession is clear: Lt. Gov. David Paterson will become governor.

Chartock noted that Paterson had a good working relationship with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno when he was the minority leader, and that perhaps relations between the Legislature and governor’s office would actually improve with new leadership.

“We don’t really know what will happen,” Chartock said. “There was really bad blood between Spitzer and Bruno.”