Photo courtesy Phil Mendelson

As the 2010 election season gets underway, DCist will endeavor to interview as many of the candidates for city office as we can. This week, we speak with At-large D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D), who is currently running for re-election.

For being mild-mannered and bookish, D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) really seems to attract a lot of attention. In 2006, he faced a well-funded and visible opponent in A. Scott Bolden, though Mendelson handily won that race. And for the 2010 contest – it would be his third term in office – he’s already attracted a challenger in Clark Ray, a former director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.

But more than simply provoke people to run against him, Mendelson has also become one of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s chief critics. From his opposition to the school takeover to his strident refusal to speed a crime bill through the D.C. Council earlier this summer, Mendelson is now one of the current administration’s biggest opponents. It’s not a role he sought out, he told DCist when we sat down with him last week.

“I’m seen as the Fenty critic,” he admitted. “That wasn’t my goal in life.” And though he claims he’s not surprised to see a challenger emerge this early on, he does attribute some of it to his consistent haranguing of Fenty. “You can’t be too critical of the chief executive without at some point getting a bulls-eye on your back,” he said.

But with relations between the council and the mayor at an all-time low and Council Chair Vince Gray openly pondering a run against Fenty, 2010 might see Mendelson aiming for higher office. Of course, if he is, he’s being coy about it. When asked if he would consider running for the chairman’s seat, should Gray decide to run for mayor, he said, “I’m not going to rule it out, but at the moment I’m focused on my own re-election.” (Translation? He’s waiting for the “Draft Phil!” campaign.)

As for Fenty’s prospects going into 2010, Mendelson thinks with the challengers so far – Leo Alexander and Sulaimon Brown – are no match for the incumbent. But if a real contender emerged, it could be a close race.

“There is deep and widespread upset in this city, and Fenty now has a record. It’s not a good record,” he said.