Supervisor Bevan Dufty became the first big-name candidate to declare his intention to run to become San Francisco’s next mayor, a race that will decide who will replace termed-out Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2012.

A day before Christmas, Dufty filed a required document declaring that he had raised in excess of $50,000 in political contributions. He started fundraising, using his self-imposed restrictions, at the end of September.

No other well-known politicians have yet to officially declare their mayoral candidacy. But there’s plenty of time. Voters will decide in the Nov. 8, 2011, election who will take over the helm.