Nico Minerva

The race to replace Councilwoman Jessica Lappin just got a tad more crowded today when attorney Nico Minerva officially registered a campaign committee for her seat. Ms. Lappin is expected to run for Manhattan Borough President, leaving her seat vacant for aspiring City Council Members in the Upper East Side.

Mr. Minerva said the only thing that could stop his campaign is if Ms. Lappin were to run for reelection.

"I'm a big fan of Jessica Lappin, I'm not going to run against her," he told The Politicker this evening. But besides that, he said, "I'm all in."

Mr. Minerva, an Associate at Milberg LLP and former Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, has served as a judicial delegate in the Manhattan Democratic Party’s Judicial Convention since 2007, according to his firm's website.

He said his motivation to run came not only from being active in the community and the local community board, but also a personal experience with his wife.

"I persuaded her to move into Manhattan with me, on the Upper East Side and since then she's developed asthma, so that's been a very tough thing for her and for us," he explained. "One of the things I'd like to work on is air pollution."

He said he'd like his expected child to grow up surrounded by clean air and working on bike lanes and encouraging usage of alternative transportation would be a priority.

Other candidates for the 2013 election include attorney and political consultant Benjamin Kallos and adjunct professor Hill Krishnan, both of whom have already officially launched their campaigns.