The first of four expected Democratic candidates for mayor of Pittsburgh declared his candidacy over winter break.

Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto officially announced his plans to run for mayor of Pittsburgh during his annual holiday party and fundraiser on Dec. 13 at the Crucible Steel Building, a converted factory in the Strip District.

“Tonight I am announcing my campaign for mayor,” Peduto said, as the black velvet curtain behind him dropped in dramatic fashion to unveil a poster with yellow bridges and Pittsburgh’s skyline that read, “Peduto, Democrat for Mayor.”

Peduto, 48, of Point Breeze, will likely face off against Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (who assumed office in 2006), Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb and State Auditor General Jack Wagner in the Democratic primary on May 21. Ravenstahl, Lamb and Wagner have not officially declared their candidacies but have voiced their intentions to run.

In Pittsburgh, the Democratic primary election has decided the mayor in every election since 1933.

Peduto gave the hundreds of party-goers a taste of his plans for Pittsburgh during his announcement. He emphasized the importance of creating connections between different organizations that govern Pittsburgh and between city government and Pittsburghers.

“It’s all about building bridges,” Peduto said. “We need to break the shackles of the old rusty political machine. It’s not about politics, it’s about people.”

In an interview on Friday, less than a month after his announcement, Peduto also emphasized the importance of revitalizing a city government that he said runs as if it’s 1980.

“You shouldn’t have to stand in line to get a permit,” he said. “You should be able to get a permit online.”

Peduto’s announcement arrived after months of speculation as to whether he would run. On Sept. 27, Peduto filed the necessary paperwork to run for mayor and begin fundraising.

“The worst-kept secret in politics is now released,” Peduto joked after his announcement speech.

At least a dozen Pitt students were on hand to hear Peduto’s announcement.

Junior Robert Beecher said he attended the event because of his strong support for Peduto’s candidacy.

“His views on regionalism and his views on the way to leverage the assets of the greater Pittsburgh community have impressed me ever since I stepped on campus,” he said.

Junior Kevin Kerr believes Peduto would prove to be a strong mayor for college students.

“He’s represented a lot of students in his role as a councilman, and he’s done a lot for them. He’s one of the people who is thinking progressively and about the future,” Kerr said.

In his current position as councilman for Pittsburgh’s 8th district — which he’s held for 12 years — Peduto represents Pittsburgh’s East End, an area that includes the neighborhoods of Bloomfield, Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, East Liberty and Point Breeze.

“I’ve had the opportunity to represent the students of the University of Pittsburgh for 18 years,” Peduto said, counting his experience as chief of staff for previous East End city councilman Dan Cohen, and as a member of City Council. “I’ve stood with them shoulder to shoulder on a number of issues.”

Peduto included preventing the tuition tax and stopping transportation cuts as issues where he supported students’ needs. He said in the case of the transportation cuts, he took a leadership role at City Council meetings aimed to prevent the cuts and supported the use of a 1 percent RAD tax to fund transportation.

Peduto said he has a history of collaborating with students. In working to prevent the tuition tax proposed by Mayor Ravenstahl in 2009, Peduto said he met with members of Pitt’s Student Government Board. He said ultimately he and others were able to work with City Controller Michael Lamb to produce an alternative budget that didn’t rely on a tuition tax.

Several members of the Pitt College Democrats attended the event to learn about Peduto so that they could compare him with the other candidates and make an informed decision before the May election.

“We’re excited for the mayoral primary,” Pitt Democrats incoming Business Manager Zach Gozlan said. “It’s an inter-Democratic race, which is really unique for us.”

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald introduced Peduto at the event, giving the councilman his first endorsement.

“I‘m proud to be here tonight to endorse and proudly proclaim that I am supporting Bill Peduto as the next mayor of the city of Pittsburgh,” he said.

Fitzgerald said that over the course of 12 years working with Peduto, he “came to see Bill’s work effort, seriousness and love for the region.”

Fitzgerald was the first donor to Peduto’s campaign in September, contributing $8,000 — the maximum allowable under Pittsburgh’s campaign finance law — to the campaign effort.

Peduto previously ran for mayor in the 2005 and 2007 Democratic primaries. Bob O’Connor defeated Peduto in 2005 and Peduto dropped out of the 2007 election early, after polls indicated that Ravenstahl held a strong advantage.

When asked about his failed 2005 run, Peduto emphasized the greater financial strength of his campaign this time around. He noted that the holiday party fundraiser alone raised around $250,000, the total amount his campaign earned in 2005.

“If you can’t ante up $1 million, you can’t be in the race,” Peduto said.

Peduto also plans to put a heavy focus on promoting his campaign through social media. He wants to have at least two videos a week on his YouTube channel and to communicate with voters regularly through Facebook and Twitter.

Peduto counted a larger volunteer and support base as another difference between this year’s campaign and his previous runs at the mayoral office.

Peduto revealed in late November that he will not seek reelection to his seat on City Council, a move he described as removing the “net” from beneath his effort to run for mayor.

“There comes a time when you’ve done what you sought to do. I did that on City Council. Now I’m ready to do that in the mayor’s office,” Peduto said.