(photo courtesy www.tommywells.org)

By  Tim Craig,  Published: July 6  

D.C. Council member Tommy Wells said Friday that he is likely to be a candidate for mayor in 2014 and is organizing a staff and his message for a contest that could pit him against several colleagues.  

Wells, a Democrat who represents Ward 6, said he decided to state his intentions to explore a campaign after he received an outpouring of support as he moved across the city over the July 4 holiday.  

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Tommy, are you going to run?’ ” Wells said. “People have been asking me to run, so I said, ‘Sure.’­ ”  

Wells first confirmed his plans Wednesday in response to a question from Davis Kennedy, publisher of the  Northwest Current, at the annual Fourth of July parade in Palisades, according to Wells’s advisers.  

Wells is the first potential candidate to issue a statement about his intentions, but the two-term council member said he has no interest in undercutting Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D). Wells, 55, said he remains a firm supporter of Gray’s agenda and would not relish his downfall.