A little over 30 years after Harvey Milk, an openly gay supervisor, was assassinated, a supervisor from the same district declared his intent to run and possibly become the first openly gay mayor in San Francisco.

Bevan Dufty said that his election would be tremendous for the gay community, as District 8 and the Castro would always be a part of him.

Dufty has been the District 8 supervisor since 2003 serving the Glen Park, Noe Valley and Castro areas.

"I've been really open about who I am," said Dufty. "I'm not too concerned about how that's going to affect candidacy."

Dufty is considered a moderate member of the city's board and works closely with Mayor Gavin Newsom.

He recently disagreed with Newsom on how the city should handle undocumented juveniles accused of crimes, as Dufty voted in favor of keeping in them the state until they are convicted. The alternative would send them to their native country before determining that they are guilty of a crime.

During his two terms as District 8 supervisor, he has worked on issues such as transit, Halloween in the Castro, gay rights and public safety. Dufty said he would transpose some of his accomplishments and experiences as a supervisor to his plans for the city.

As mayor, Dufty said he would prioritize transit and Muni-related issues by improving reliability and the riders' experience. In addition, Dufty wants to improve safety, public services and schools.

"He's done such an exemplary job at being district supervisor," said Reggie Snowden, a 43-year-old manager of a clothing store and resident of the Castro. "He did a great job at bringing the merchants together."

Others have pointed fingers at him for not having solved all the issues, but a number of merchants said he has done a good job.

"He is not like a messiah and can't solve everything," Snowden said.

Michael Thompson, a 26-year-old bartender and resident of the Castro, said he thought Dufty would do a better job at mayor than most people, but said he "couldn't help but disagree with his policies in the Castro regarding events like Pink Saturday."

Pink Saturday is a street party held the night before San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade. Dufty has been trying to keep the Castro out of trouble by not having street parties such as the infamous Halloween party or, at least, organizing them better.

"He's overall done a pretty good job, but I'd rather Newsom stay in office," Thompson said.

Although Dufty has held events at his house for residents and merchants, some residents say he should be more visible.

"Scott Wiener rang my doorbell; Dufty never rang my doorbell," said S.J. Louis, a homeowner in the Castro. "He should be more physical, because it's us people who get him elected."

Wiener is running to replace Dufty as District 8 supervisor.

The election is more than two years away and the official beginning of the race is set to be on July 11, 2010, but Dufty is already planning for the big day. Filing a declaration of intent to run allows him to start raising funds for his campaign. Dufty filed on Sept. 24 of this year, according to the Department of Elections.

Dufty said that he would only accept donations of $200 or lower and said the advantage of starting this early is that his agenda can evolve and he can reach out to people block by block.

"I feel really strongly about how I present myself to the voters," Dufty said.

Only one other candidate, Antonio Mims, has filed his declaration of intent to run for mayor as of Oct. 19. Mims filed in July of 2008.