She’s written about councilmembers and she’s lobbied them, and now she wants to become one.

Elissa Silverman, a former Loose Lips columnist for the City Paper, reporter for the Post and budget wonk at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute announced today that she’s throwing herself into contention for the April 23 At-Large special election, joining what could be a diverse and crowded field of contenders to fill the seat once held by Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

In a press release, Silverman said her campaign would focus on workforce development, effective budgeting and government ethics and campaign finance reform.

“As a budget wonk and ex-­reporter, I know how to ask the hard questions,” she said in a press release. “Our city’s budget is a statement of our priorities. I want to serve on the Council to make sure our government is more responsive, more effective and more strategic in helping improve the lives of all District residents.”

Beyond having actively lobbied current councilmembers on behalf of the progressive D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, which has advocated for more money to be put into social programs and against tax breaks for big companies, Silverman also played a role in a recent citizens initiative to ban corporate contributions from political campaigns.

Silverman jumps into an unsettled race that could see a large contingent of candidates asking for votes in what is usually a low-turnout affair. Ten contenders have already started circulating nominating petitions, including former At-Large contender and State Board of Education member Pat Mara, interim At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, Ward 3 ANC Matthew Frumin, marijuana defense attorney Paul Zukerberg, former Shadow Representative John Capozzi, former At-Large contender A.J. Cooper, and others. And though outgoing Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At Large) has hinted that he’ll run, he hasn’t yet committed to it.

The first hurdle for every candidate will be collecting the 3,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot. After that, they’ll each have to fight to gain support from what is traditionally an electorate that isn’t really paying attention to elections—turnout is usually in the 10 percent range—and carve out a message that resonates. Mara and Frumin are strong on education, while Silverman could focus on ethics, much like councilmember-elect David Grosso did when he defeated Brown.