The race for Minnesota attorney general picked up another candidate Thursday as St. Paul City Attorney Samuel Clark confirmed he is running.

Clark, a 34-year-old Democrat who became the city attorney in April 2015, recently filed to register a campaign committee with the state — a requisite first step toward seeking statewide office.

He made his decision official Thursday while joined at the Capitol by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal, former U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, former St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith and former St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington, who is chief of Metro Transit Police.

Clark, the son of retired Ramsey County District Judge James Clark Jr., grew up in St. Paul and obtained his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Yale Law School.

He served as a political aide to Sen. Amy Klobuchar before being tapped by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman to oversee a team of 43 attorneys.

Coleman’s decision to hire the then-31-year-old Clark over 28 other applicants raised eyebrows at the time, given his two years of experience in private practice.

“I do think I’m uniquely qualified to be the next attorney general in that I’ve already led one of the biggest public law offices in the state, and before that I worked in politics at a statewide level as Klobuchar’s state director,” Clark said in a recent interview.

Like other Democrats in the race, Clark acknowledged the awkwardness of running for a seat currently held by a Democratic incumbent, Lori Swanson, who has not yet announced whether she will seek re-election. Most candidates have speculated that Swanson will run for governor, though she has yet to make a public decision.

With party caucuses scheduled for February, Clark said he and other candidates face some deadline pressure. “Should she decide not to run for re-election, I want to be the next attorney general,” he said Thursday.

Declared candidates for the attorney general’s seat include Republican Doug Wardlow and Democrats Matt Pelikan, Debra Hilstrom and Ryan Winkler. Others have also announced they are considering entering the race, which will be decided at the same time as the gubernatorial election in November 2018.