With the race to become the District’s next mayor thrown into upheaval by D.C. businessman Jeffrey Thompson’s  guilty plea to election law and tax fraud charges, D.C. Councilmember David Catania sees an opening. 

While U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ron Machen  not-so-subtly fishes for more information to implicate current Mayor Vincent Gray, Catania plans to formally enter the race for mayor before the end of the week,  NBCWashington reported.

Catania, one of two openly gay councilmembers, who was first elected as an at-large representative in 1997, has been exploring a run for mayor as an independent in the November general election.