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The expected match-up between D.C. Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Kwame Brown (D-At-large) for council chair appears to be official. WTOP reported earlier this morning that both Evans and Brown have said they plan to run.

Brown told reporter Mark Segraves that he will file his paperwork as soon as he returns from a family vacation. Evans also said today that he will soon file.

It’s shaping up to be a potentially awkward campaign pitting two sitting council members against one another, with both vying for support from the rest of their colleagues. So far, only Ward 3’s Mary Cheh has endorsed either one, telling Mike DeBonis she plans to support Brown. But the risks to entering the race for both men are also low. Unlike current chair Vincent Gray, who must give up his seat in order to run for mayor, neither Evans nor Brown face the same decision, because neither is up for re-election until 2012. So whoever loses will retain his current council seat after the election.

Evans’ and Brown’s decisions also don’t preclude other candidates from stepping into the mix. At-large member Phil Mendelson, who is up for re-election this year, has still not ruled out running for chair. Former council member Kathy Patterson, however, recently told D.C. Wire that she will not run for the seat.