Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway has filed paperwork to run against U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume in next year’s Democratic primary.

A spokesperson for Conway says a final decision has not been made, and the filing is meant to test the enthusiasm for a challenge against Mfume, who has served eight terms during two stints in Congress. A spokesperson for Mfume did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

“The mounting cost of politics as usual, especially in the face of growing threats to Baltimore’s future, has weighed heavily on Councilman Conway,” said Luca Amayo, a spokesperson for Conway. “He is consulting with residents and community leaders as he carefully considers all paths forward to best serve the people of Baltimore.”

Mfume, 76, has held Maryland’s 7th District since 2020. The late Rep. Elijah Cummings held the seat until his death in 2019. Mfume previously represented the district in the House from 1987 to 1996.

In a heavily Democratic district that includes most of Baltimore and portions of Baltimore County, the winner of the primary election is all but guaranteed to win the general.

Conway and any other challengers will be facing an entrenched incumbent. Mfume easily won the 2020 special primary to replace Cummings, in a field that included Cummings’ widow and several state lawmakers. Mfume hasn’t faced a competitive challenge since.

Originally from the Bronx in New York City, Conway attended the University of Maryland and later settled in Baltimore. He previously worked for former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s administration.

Elected in 2020 to the City Council to represent North Baltimore neighborhoods such as Bellona-Gittings, Govans, Pen Lucy and Ramblewood, Conway has become something of a maverick. He regularly butts heads with Mayor Brandon Scott and some of his fellow members, most notably over the city’s handling of the overdose crisis that has plagued Baltimore for years.

Conway has tried to align himself in recent months with Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, who has also been outspoken in criticizing Scott.

The split between Conway and Scott became most apparent earlier this year when the former introduced a bill that would require firefighters and paramedics to carry buprenorphine, a drug that staves off the effects of opioid withdrawal.

But Scott and Conway in late spring seemed to have put their differences aside, posing for a photo with each other and City Council President Zeke Cohen outside of Koco’s Pub, which is famously Scott’s favorite restaurant.

This article may be updated.