NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn has formally launched what she hopes will be a history-making mayoral bid this fall.

The Democrat announced through her Twitter feed Sunday that she’s in the race to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She followed the announcement with the start of what she calls a walk-and-talk tour. It’s intended to take her to every neighborhood in the city before the Democratic primary in September.

Her first stop was the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood. Quinn was surrounded by supporters, as well as a gaggle of journalists.

Her supporters carried signs saying “Christine Quinn for Mayor” and wore baseball caps with her initials on them.

Quinn would be the first woman and the first openly gay person to serve as mayor.