By Special Contributor Larry Kane

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Although it’s very quiet right now, there is an election in Pennsylvania and the hopefuls are stirring in one contest.

While this is not the most exciting political year yet, it’s important to keep an eye on the Democratic race for City Controller which has alot of implications.

First of all, the incumbent, Alan Butkovitz, needs a win to propel him into the Mayors race in 2015. Thats where Brett Mandell comes in. A former executive in the controller’s office, Mandell is a budget activist with a lot of friends in different areas of the city.

There are two other hopefuls: Mark Zecca and Michael Williams.

Mandell has run before and should be viewed as a shoe-in for the Democratic primary, but with the usual low voter turnout, anything can happen between now and the May primary.

This election may very well provide some suspense in this so-called “off-year.”