Photo by Elvert Barnes.

Carol Schwartz, the former Republican Councilmember who is now a registered Independent, filed over 6,500 signatures today to become a mayoral candidate for the fifth time.

In a release, Schwartz says she personally collected over 2,000 petition signatures to submit to the D.C. Board of Elections.

“I am grateful to the more than 70 volunteers who gave so much time and energy — and received not one penny — to help me get on the ballot on November 4th, as well as the many more who are helping in so many other ways,” Schwartz said in a statement. “With our campaign, which has always been more about people than money, I feel we have a real chance for victory for all of us.”

According to Loose Lips, Schwartz loaned her campaign $30,000.

When picking up her petitions in June, Schwartz denied that she was entering the race as a foil to Councilmember David Catania: “Everybody who knows me knows that I am hardly a person who is not my own person,” she said after calling the speculation “petty.” “You can call me lots of things. But not being my own person is not one of them.”

Catania, also a Republican-turned-Independent, turned in 7,000 signatures to the Board of Elections yesterday to appear on the November ballot as a mayoral candidate. Assuming at least 3,000 of Catania’s and Schwartz’s signatures are valid, they will face Councilmember Muriel Bowser, the Democratic nominee for mayor, this fall.