The 32nd annual 17th street High Heel Race bore its traditional trappings on Tuesday night, from its colorful drag queens marching in sky-high stilettos to participants’ playful jibes at national politics. But the Dupont neighborhood’s chase also boasted a new mark this year, with the city government’s debut as an official sponsor.

This year’s underwriter may have been advertised “Muriel Bowser,” but the mayor pivoted away from her own brand as she mounted the stage before race.

“When I say ‘presented,’ I mean we picked up the baton so we can keep it running for the next 32 years,” Bowser told the crowd before the race. “Nobody else is paying for a drag high heel race in any other city.”

Just after Bowser finished her speech and was about to set the mark, several participants began a premature strut down 17th street. The mayor tried to usher the racers back to the starting line but it was too late: Glittery spontaneity had trumped government order. The false start released a cacophony of clacking heels and the unmistakable flap and crack of oversized, oriental fans wielded by towering drag queens.

That brief pre-race pandemonium excepted, the mayor has exercised some control over the event for the last several years.

“The mayor’s office has always had their hand in helping us out,” said the race’s grand marshal, Ba’Naka, who has participated since 2003. Passing the official title to the city will ensure someone solid will usher in the event each year, Ba’Naka added.

The high heel race’s humble beginnings stretch back to 1986, when a group of drag queens made a tipsy dash down 17th Street. As larger crowds amassed each year, the campy Halloween tradition became a bonafide function that required the city’s permits and police presence. In 2011, the Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets became a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor and last year the city government signed on as an official sponsor.

Bowser has worked the crowd at previous high-heel races, but this year marked the first time that the D.C. government took ownership of the once-subversive event. While Dave Perruzza, former manager of former J.R.’s Bar and Grill and now owner of Pitchers, served his final year as chief organizer this year, the city slapped its mark on the race in social media posts boasting “Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents the 32nd Annual 17th Street High Heel Race.”

For some, Bowser’s embrace seals the race’s longevity, which would have otherwise been dependent on one bar’s manager. D.C. resident Lora Nunn, who camped out on the sidelines with her two young children in tow, believes the mayor’s ownership is good for the race.

“It’s popular enough that the mayor wants to take it on,” she said. “I know people feel frustration with losing that organic, neighborhood feel, but I think it’s going to maintain the spirit through the city being involved.”

Arlington resident Melinda Sue, who has participated as a runner in the race for over a decade, seemed sour over Bowser’s sponsorship.

“Not a huge fan,” she said as she teased the crowd with a Cabbage Patch doll pinned under her skirt. “It’s not [Bowser’s] event. I think it’s political to latch onto this.”

Even with a prominent police presence and government stamp of approval, the event has not lost all its charm. Unlike other official parades in town, the race hasn’t erected barricades to keep onlookers on the sidelines. And despite the burgeoning crowds, the spirit of the race hasn’t changed, said Maryland resident Todd Moniot, who has attended since 1998.

“It’s still pretty raw, you’re still elbowing your way down the street in drag to get the grand prize to buy one dress next weekend,” he said. “And the last three years, it’s [been] funny to watch straight couples come. It’s a very diverse crowd, you didn’t see that before.”

At the end of the night, Michael Ramsey walked up 17th street with a box of Belvedere vodka in hand, his prize for first place in the race. Ramsey felt the Jewish community “needed a superhero right now” and accessorized his “Madame Schweitz” costume with a bedazzled dress, sparkling blazer, and an understated Star of David necklace.

“My opinion is that any visibility matters,” Ramsey said of the mayor’s sponsorship. “We profit from those in power showing their support, so I think the mayor being here is obviously a positive thing.”