At least two Bostonians have stepped forward in declaring a campaign for the City Council’s District 7 seat, a post held by the embattled and now arrested Tania Fernandes Anderson.

Said Ahmed, a Roxbury resident who has organized a running club for city children for over a decade, filed paperwork with the state in October but held off publicizing his campaign until this past Wednesday.

Ahmed told the Herald on Saturday the wait stemmed from preparing his platform and website and had nothing to do with Fernandes Anderson’s legal troubles.

The other candidate in the 2025 race is Said Abdikarim who ran for a citywide seat in 2021, the Dorchester Reporter reported in October.

“I plan to file very soon to hit the ground running to fundraise,” Abdikarim told the neighborhood newspaper at the time, after confirming that rumors of his run were correct.

News broke Tuesday that Fernandes Anderson was the subject of a federal investigation. The councilor vowed Wednesday that she’d stay in office and “show up and fight” for her constituents.

Several colleagues and Mayor Michelle Wu are calling for Fernandes Anderson to resign after the feds arrested her Friday on public corruption charges that saw her allegedly “embrace a culture of cashing in” by stealing thousands from taxpayers in an “egregious” kickback scheme at City Hall.

When asked whether his campaign related to Fernandes Anderson’s performance on the council Ahmed told the Herald: “I wish the best of luck for the councilor. She’s dealing with a tough situation … and I don’t want to say anything. I can say she was trying her best in the community. I don’t know what’s going on right now.”

“I want to make sure we focus on Said Ahmed, Coach Ahmed’s campaign,” he added.

Ahmed said he believes he has the experience and connections to make a real change for the betterment of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End.

“Our district is victimized by lip service,” Ahmed said in a phone interview after he coached his first track meet of the season at the Reggie Lewis Center with his club, Boston United.

“First, you need to know what’s broken and try to fix it before you run for office,” he said. “When you’re an elected official your job is to fix those issues. I believe there’s so much that we can improve our community.”

Ahmed came to Roxbury as a 12-year-old refugee from Somalia in 1995. He grew up in Alice Taylor — Boston Public Housing, which he called “the projects.” The Boston English High School graduate has lived in the neighborhood ever since except for college at the University of Arkansas where he starred as a middle-distance runner.

Ahmed was a four-time All-American and a member of the U.S. National Team.

Ahmed worked for over 15 years in Boston Public Schools, founded Boston United Track and Cross Country, described as the city’s only free track program, and now serves as deputy director of the Somali Development Center, a Roxbury-based hub for resettlement information and support for Somalis and other African groups.

“Roxbury gave me home and access to opportunity,” Ahmed said. “That’s where I became a high school national champion, I became an NCAA national champion, I ran for the United States of America right after I became an American citizen.”

“Right after I retired (from competing), I came back immediately and gave back to the city that gave me the opportunity,” he added.

Despite feeling “honored” to call Roxbury and the surrounding area “home,” Ahmed acknowledged the challenges plaguing District 7: struggling schools, dangerous roads, and a lack of quality elderly care, green space and affordable housing.

If elected, the father of five children, between the ages of 2 and 15, said he’d focus on listening to the community’s needs by holding town hall meetings, participating in community organization meetings and engaging with developers to ensure they’re developing “real” affordable housing.

“Roxbury has been denied a lot of investment it deserves,” Ahmed said.

Roughly an hour after Fernandes Anderson, a second-term councilor, spoke to reporters on Wednesday about her intentions to stay in office amid the federal probe, Ahmed announced his campaign on social media and detailed his priorities.

“We deserve a Councilor who will take bold action and secure the resources we deserve,” Ahmed posted on X. “Together, we can build a more equitable and safer District 7 for everyone.”

Abdikarim has a similar story as Ahmed — settling in Roxbury as a nine-year-old refugee from Somalia after spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp, the Dorchester Reporter reported. Throughout his time in Boston, he has volunteered on various campaigns including those for former District 7 councilor Tito Jackson, Mayor Wu, the late Mayor Tom Menino and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, according to the hyperlocal.

Abdikarim, director of community engagement and policy at the Roxbury-based non-profit African Community Economic Development of New England, spoke in front of the council and Wu last February, sharing his story and what the city means to him.

Abdikarim finished twelfth in the at-large Preliminary Election in September 2021.

“The first time I decided to run for office I wanted to be a voice for change,” Abdikarim said in council chambers last winter. “Not only do I stand before you as an immigrant man but I’m also a Black man who lived in four different public houses. … It’s not really easy to be in politics because when I ran I could see how hard it was, and I can only imagine how hard it is for you guys to do your job, not a lot of people give you credit.”

Since joining the City Council roughly three years ago, Fernandes Anderson, married to a convicted murderer, has had her fair share of controversy.

She was hit with state campaign finance violations last month and a state ethics violation last year for hiring two family members to paid positions on her Council staff.

Last New Year’s Day, Fernandes Anderson violated the city charter by being caught on video not saying the oath of office at the city inauguration. She had to retake it before being legally allowed to start her duties for her second term.

“To my people, District 7 constituents: You know that I am always transparent with you and always available,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. “My job is to show up and fight for you, and I will continue to do just that — the people’s work.”

Appointed a public defender, Fernandes Anderson did not answer questions from reporters when she left federal court Friday afternoon.

Said Abdikarim has declared a campaign for the Boston City Council’s District 7 seat. (Herald file photo)