Dara Adams (Photo: Ron Hester)

Dara Adams, currently  Community Affairs Director at the Department of Education, is set to leave her job Friday in order to directly pursue a campaign for Councilman Dan Garodnick's East Side seat. Mr. Garodnick declared he will run for New York City Comptroller in 2013, which led Ms. Adams to publicly contemplate a campaign months ago, but she had not officially announced her intentions.

"I still have to register all of my paperwork with the Board of Elections," she told us earlier this afternoon. "But I am leaving to finish my master's and run for City Council."

"It's something I'm really passionate about," she said of her motivations for running, citing education and transportation as top issues. "I really believe we need soembody that cares about the quality of life in the district."

As is the inevitable case with open seats, however, she'll have to defeat several rivals in order to ultimately secure the elected office. Notably, local community board chair Mark Thompson currently seems to have the inside track and has been amassing some establishment support. Jeff Mailman, a legislative aide to Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, is also exploring a run.

And the campaign is certainly getting underway even though it is over a year away and the exact boundaries of the district are sure to change with redistricting. For example, Mr. Thompson already announced the support from former Mayor Ed Koch.

(Photo Credit: Jon Reznick)

Jeff Mailman, an attorney and legislative director for the City Council, is considering a campaign for Councilman Dan Garodnick's East Side district. Mr. Garodnick has already announced his intentions to run citywide for comptroller in 2013 and multiple contenders are already lining up their campaigns to replace him.

"My time as the legislative director for Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley was a thrilling experience," Mr. Mailman told us yesterday evening, ticking off a range of issues he's interested in, especially zoning policy. "The Council is an exciting place."

The prospective candidate was particularly effusive in his praise for Mr. Garodnick, whom he called a "role model."

"I think he's done a terrific job, he's passed more bills than any legislator in the Council, and very significant pieces," Mr. Mailman said. "He has a great record and a strong advocate and he always has a very thorough knowledge."

If he does indeed pull the trigger and launch a campaign, Mr. Mailmight might have an uphill battle against a field that already includes at least two challengers: community board chair Mark Thompson and Department of Education staffer Dara Adams.

Mr. Thompson in particular has been amassing some notable political support, including the backing of former Mayor Ed Koch.

"I'm still reaching out, assessing my fundraising," Mr. Mailman said of the state of his campaign, noting that the 2013 election is still a ways off. "I want to talk to residents in the district even more. We're way out and I need some more time to see how everything goes."

Mark Thompson (Photo: Facebook)

Mark Thompson, the chair of Community Board 6, has officially registered a campaign committee for Councilman Dan Garodnick's East Side seat. Mr. Garodnick recently announced his campaign for New York City Comptroller, which will leave a vacant seat behind him for aspiring city councilmen like Mr. Thompson.

The move comes as little surprise as Mr. Thompson had already told DNAinfo, “I’m very seriously considering running for Dan’s seat,” and, “ I hope to make an announcement some time soon.”

Indeed, he seemed excited about the prospect of serving in the City Council.

“City planning is my background, my soul basically,” Mr. Thompson also told the publication. “I love what I do, and it fits in exactly with the City Council.”

Another likely candidate, DNAinfo reported, is Department of Education staffer Dara Adams, who's just 26 years of age.

Other candidates are reasonably likely to emerge in the coming weeks and months, as the election won't take place until 2013.