Interesting development in the race to replace District 8 city councilor Bill Peduto. Jeanne Clark, who is challenging Peduto staffer Dan Gilman, is now boasting of hiring a former Peduto staffer, Jessica McCurdy, to manage her campaign. Also hiring on with the effort: campaign veteran Marty Marks.

And as this space predicted in November, Clark is also drawing on her national reputation as a feminists for campaign support: Clark has announced a Jan. 26 fundraiser that will be joined by noted feminist Eleanor Smeal (who launched her career as a feminist advocate here in the 1970s) and pro-choice advocate Kate Michelman.

Gilman, meanwhile, is coming off his own campaign announcement this past Monday (which City Paper couldn't attend, since we had an issue to put out) ... not to mention a rather glowing write-up in the Jewish Chronicle, playing up his religious background ... without actually mentioning Clark at all.

Keep your eye on this one.