NEW YORK — Beneath the wave of sexual misconduct allegations in recent weeks against male lawmakers and candidates lies a common theme: These offenses had been going on for decades, but were either unacknowledged or dealt with quietly.

Now, veils of silence in legislative chambers are lifting as public disavowals and calls for resignations pour in against the accused, even from fellow party members.

Roiling the political world in the last week was a report in The Washington Post that four women had accused Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for a US Senate seat in Alabama, of sexual or romantic advances when he was in his 30s and they were teenagers, one as young as 14.

While many Republican officials in Alabama have come to Moore’s defense, a chorus of others — including the president, vice president, and Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader — immediately called on the candidate to step aside if the allegations were true.

The Senate campaign arm of the party cut its fund-raising agreement with him, and two Republican senators have rescinded their endorsements.

Republican Senator Pat Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, on Sunday urged Moore to drop out of the race, adding to the party’s growing disavowal of him even though Moore has called the allegations “completely false.’’

A poll published Sunday by JMC Analytics and Polling showed Moore’s challenger, Democrat Doug Jones, leading in the race, with 46 percent to Moore’s 42 percent, with 9 percent undecided. The survey had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points, suggesting the race is a toss-up.

But as the debate over Moore plays out on a national scale, a blitz of scandals has also hit state houses from California to Florida, where accusations that might have been ignored in the past are drawing aggressive responses.

“There’s not the sense of trying to defend these guys in the same way,’’ said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University. “I don’t know if all of these men really get it or if now at least they know they’d better get it.’’

Women continue to come forward, writing public letters about abuses ranging from lewd comments to groping, and joining others in a wide range of industries where powerful figures have been toppled in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

As a result, legislators have resigned or have been removed from posts, sexual harassment policies have been revised, women’s caucuses have been formed, and broad investigations have kicked into gear.

So far, many of the accused have held on to their seats — if not their stature. Some of the accusers have raised questions about whether they are witnessing the beginning of a systemic change or a short-lived political Band-Aid.

“Now they’re doing this because — why?’’ asked Denise Rotheimer, a political activist and Republican candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives.

She complained last year that state Senator Ira Silverstein, chairman of the Democratic majority caucus, had sent her midnight messages and asked numerous personal questions when she tried to work with him on a bill.

“Because the media grabbed onto this? Because now it’s public? Because there’s nothing different from my complaint in November last year to my testimony this year.’’

Rotheimer testified publicly late last month at a state legislative hearing on a fast-moving measure addressing sexual harassment; within a day Silverstein had resigned his leadership position, though he disputed the charges, according to The Chicago Tribune.