Photo by Andrew Lightman/Capital Community News

Standing in front of the modest North Michigan Park brick duplex where she grew up, Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) energetically announced on Saturday morning that she was jumping into the 2014 mayoral race.

In a short speech to a crowd of supporters, Bowser touted many of the improvements that D.C. has seen over the years, from better school choices and neighborhood development to ethics reform and marriage equality. But as Mayor Vince Gray did when he announced his own 2010 run against then Mayor Adrian Fenty, Bowser was careful to note that the city’s progress hasn’t been spread evenly among its residents.

“Washington will be its best only when all of us, no matter your zip code, no matter your education, no matter your pedigree, can have a safe neighborhood like I had, can have good paying jobs, can have excellent schools,” she said.

“People want the same things, no matter where they’re from. From Cleveland Park or from Lincoln Heights, they want the same things. Whether from today’s LeDroit Park or the LeDroit Park of my father’s childhood, they want the same things. They want a seat at the table and they want a fair chance, and that’s exactly what we’ve been fighting for down at city hall,” she added.

Bowser, who was first elected to fill the seat vacated by Fenty in 2007 and easily cruised to re-election last year, also criticized Gray’s administration, saying that he has been distracted by the scandals that have dogged him since he took office.

“As I’ve gotten around the city, you’ve told me that you’re disappointed, that the work of the District of Columbia has been sidetracked. Corruption has robbed us of our focus, our momentum, our need to think big and act swiftly,” she argued.

Bowser also paid respects to Fenty, her political mentor, by saying that Gray was cruising off of the successes of past administrations while bogging down future gains with his deliberative approach to governance. (Her campaign color is the same as Fenty’s was: green.)

“We’ve settled into managing the status quo, riding the successes of our past instead of shaping the landscape of our future. And it’s showing up too. Slower service delivery, missed deadlines, task force upon task force, and hits to our regional reputation. D.C. residents expect big visions, swift action to solve the big-city problems we face,” she said.

It’s certainly not lost on anyone that in taking on Gray—who is said to be mulling a bid for a second term—Bowser will have to adopt many of the same points he did when he challenged Fenty. She’ll have to appeal to newer residents by promising that she won’t slow the progress that is taking place while pledging to residents feeling left out of the prosperity that they’ll have a chance too.

Still, Bowser promised to do it better than Gray has, saying that she would be a “mayor that knows there’s nothing more important than bringing our city together, and not with rhetoric, not wins pins or slogans slapped on everything—but with real change.”

Bowser is the first candidate to formally enter the race. Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) launched an exploratory campaign last month, while Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) has expressed his intention to run. The Democratic primary is set to take place in pril 2014.