CHAPEL HILL - Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt had a national endorsement and his first campaign contribution in hand when he filed to create a 2013 campaign committee last week.

Candidates must file with the local Board of Elections when they receive a campaign contribution. Kleinschmidt has received a $250 contribution from the LGBT Democrats of NC.

The mayor also is one of nearly 20 candidates nationwide endorsed by the Victory Fund, an LGBT advocacy group dedicated to putting more openly gay and lesbian citizens into office.

“Being mayor of Chapel Hill over the past three years has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences of my life,” Kleinschmidt said in a news release. “It is my intention to file for re-election in July in the hope the citizens will allow me to continue to serve and move forward with the hard work we have invested in Chapel Hill together as a community.”

Kleinschmidt is Chapel Hill’s first openly gay mayor and was first elected to the office in 2009. He joined the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2001.

During his time in office, Kleinschmidt touts among his successes the adoption of Chapel Hill’s 2020 Plan, the library expansion, the addition of grant-funded hybrid buses and working with UNC and Orange County to create the Launch Chapel Hill business incubator on Rosemary Street.

The town also was named one of Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live and received the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Award as “North Carolina’s Traffic Safe Community of the Year for 2012.”

“I look forward to participating in the democratic process this upcoming election cycle and continuing to work with the citizens of Chapel Hill to help them realize our shared goals and vision for this community,” Kleinschmidt said in the release.