SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Democrat Juanita Perez Williams plans to run for Congress in Central New York's 24th district, according to the Democratic Party chairman.

Onondaga County Democratic Committee Chairman Mark English confirmed that Perez Williams notified him Tuesday afternoon she would run.

"I heard from her today," he said. "It was a courtesy call and I appreciated it."

Her entrance in the race comes late in the political calendar, and has taken many Democrats by surprise. Perez Williams had previously ruled out a run.

Perez Williams, 54, will take on Dana Balter, the Democratic Party's designated candidate, in a primary later this year. Democrat Bill Bass is also running in the primary. Whoever wins will challenge U.S. Rep. John Katko, a Republican, in November.

Perez Williams' name surfaced late last year as a possible contender to run against Katko. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee met with her in Washington, D.C. while searching for a high-profile candidate. The group had also approached former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner.

In an interview in January, Perez Williams said she would not run.

"While I'm very humbled to be asked, I'm going to sit this one out and support the designee," Perez Williams told syracuse.com at the time.

Perez Williams did not return a message Tuesday afternoon.

Perez Williams is expected to announce her candidacy tonight following a meeting of the Syracuse University Democrats, who are meeting to endorse a candidate for Congress. That group and its acting president, Jordan Lally, actively backed Perez Williams when she ran for Syracuse mayor last year.

Lally declined to comment when reached Tuesday evening.

Petition signatures to get on the ballot for the race are due next Thursday, April 12. Perez Williams will need 1,250 signatures from registered Democrats in the 24th district by then.

The primary is Tuesday, June 26.

Perez Williams ran for Syracuse mayor last year. She defeated Joe Nicoletti -- the Democratic Party's chosen candidate -- in a primary in September, then lost to independent Ben Walsh in the general election.

Prior to running for mayor, Perez Williams was regional director of the New York State Department of Labor. She has also served as corporation counsel for the City of Syracuse, worked in the office of the New York State Attorney General under Andrew Cuomo and was associate dean of students at SU.

She served in the U.S. Navy in California, where she was a lieutenant commander and a JAG officer.

Last year's mayoral race was her first run for public office.

Update: The Syracuse University Democrats voted to endorse Dana Balter, though Perez Williams' name was on the ballot for consideration, along with Bill Bass.