Photo by Danielle Scruggs

This morning, the D.C. Board of Elections opened its doors bright and early as nominating petitions for April 2014 primary elections became available. Among those picking up mayoral nominating petitions were the usual suspects (or at least the ones we’ve known about for a while): Councilmembers Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), as well as non-D.C. Council candidate Reta Jo Lewis. But one mayoral candidate that took most of us by (kind of) surprise this morning: Vincent Orange.

Indeed, the At-Large Councilmember will run for mayor next year.

But Orange wasn’t there himself to file the nominating petitions (He’s in London); instead, Gerri Adams-Simmons of the Committee To Save Our City filed the petition on his behalf. In a phone call with DCist, Adams-Simmons says that her “committee encouraged Orange to run because [they] believe he has the integrity and the passion to lead this city.” Adams-Simmons also said “our thing is that how can we have one city if [the] government doesn’t fight for affordable housing and livable wages? Where can our city go from here?” She believes Orange is the man to fight for that.

So far the race is heating up with Bowser, Wells, Evans, Lewis, and now Superdome mastermind Orange, while Busboys and Poets founder/owner Andy Shallal is still possibly considering a mayoral run. Current Mayor Vince Gray is still playing coy on reelection.

Also in the Board of Elections offices this morning were various other current and hopeful Council members filing their petitions to run, including Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Phil Mendelson, filing for D.C. Council Chairman reelection, Darrell Thompson, Brianne Nadeau, and Charles Allen. A full list of those who filed petitions today will be posted on the Board of Elections website later.