As I noted earlier this morning, Jeanne Clark wasn't going to have the field in District 8 all to herself for long. In fact, she didn't even have it to herself when I hit the "post" button: While I interviewed her last night, and posted the story from home this morning (I was blogging old-school, in my jammies and robe), another candidate had fired off his official announcement at 6:01 this morning.

So it's official: Dan Gilman, longtime aide to Bill Peduto, is in the running to replace his boss; not coincidentally, his campaign manager is Matt Merriman-Preston, a longtime Peduto ally. His press release is below:

Pittsburgh PA -- Dan Gilman, 30, announced today that he will be seeking election to represent Pittsburgh's 8th district on City Council. The primary election will be held on May 21, 2013

Gilman currently serves as chief-of-staff to Councilman William Peduto.

"I have had the privilege of serving every neighborhood of the district over the past eight years," Gilman said. "The most rewarding part of my job as Councilman Peduto's chief of staff is working with members of the district every day to guarantee a high quality of life, promote economic growth, and deliver quality government services. I look forward to the opportunity to continue working with my neighbors as a candidate for City Council.

"For the past eight years I have counted on the advice, vision, and experience of Dan Gilman. He has been my partner in improving our neighborhoods and our city. I know that you can count on him too – to be the kind of leader we need in City Hall," said Councilman William Peduto.

Gilman named David Caliguiri of Squirrel Hill as chair of his Political Action Committee, and Cindy Tilson of Shadyside as treasurer.

"I'm honored to be Dan's campaign chair because I know he is committed to the community. He has the experience and understanding to tackle the difficult issues that face our City. I'm confident Dan will succeed and our community will be better because of his leadership," said David Caliguiri.

"In the four years that I've known Dan, I have repeatedly been impressed at his willingness to reach out to the neighbors of District 8 and beyond to find real, workable solutions. He is a tireless champion for protecting our neighborhoods," said Cindy Tilson

Dan Gilman's Biography:

Dan Gilman, 30, has spent the past eight years serving the residents of Pittsburgh's 8th City Council District as chief of staff to City Councilman Bill Peduto. As Bill's chief of Staff, Dan has worked tirelessly on neighborhood quality of life issues while attending community meetings in all of the district's neighborhoods.

Dan has worked with residents to address neighborhood flooding problems, facilitate neighborhood crime watches, curb illegal overnight garbage collection, and to discourage aggressive towing practices. Dan works closely every day with the local police to address public safety issues throughout the district. Over eight years, he has been involved in every aspect of City government.

Dan has played an instrumental role in the transformation of the East End, including working on over $1 billion of economic growth in District 8 over the last several years. He regularly meets with developers, engineers, architects, labor organizations, and community groups to facilitate open communication among all and to guarantee development and growth continue without negatively impacting neighborhood livability.

Dan has played a crucial role in many legislative successes, authoring Pittsburgh's campaign finance reform law, lobbyist registration and disclosure laws, green building incentive program, and the City's tax abatement program for new development. He also worked tirelessly on legislation promoting equal representation on City boards and the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

Dan graduated from Shady Side Academy in 2000 and with honors from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004, with a degree in Ethics, History, and Public Policy. While at CMU, Dan served as Student Body President, was selected as student representative to the Board of Trustees, and gained further recognition as an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar.

Dan was an early volunteer with Senator Al Gore's presidential campaign, interned for American Civil Liberties Union, and as a Pittsburgh Foundation Fulton Fellow for Congressman Mike Doyle on Capitol Hill. He also served as a Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress in Washington DC.

In addition to his work on City Council, Dan serves on the boards of Pittsburgh Cares, the Community Technical Assistance Center, Prevention Point Pittsburgh, and Shady Side Academy's Alumni Council. He also serves as a committee member for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Dan currently lives in Shadyside. He is the son of Fred Gilman, the Dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University, and Barbara Gilman, a busy community volunteer. Dan attends Congregation Beth Shalom in Squirrel Hill.