U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announces his retirement from Congress in 2027

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Published June 30, 2025, 10:58 a.m. ET


U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announced Monday that he will not seek re-election to Congress, capping the end of a 45-year career in elected office and setting up a potentially heated primary to represent the Philadelphia seat in Congress. Evans, 71, who suffered a stroke last year, said he is fully capable of serving the next year, but made the decision not to run again.

“Serving the people of Philadelphia has been the honor of my life,” Evans said in a statement. “And I remain in good health and fully capable of continuing to serve. After some discussions this weekend and thoughtful reflection, I have decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026.”

Evans said he was “deeply proud” of a career in elected office. “From revitalizing neighborhoods block by block to fighting for justice, economic opportunity, investments in infrastructure and education,” he said. “I cannot express the gratitude that I have for the trust that voters put in me as their voice in both state and federal office. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to serve as their advocate in government.”

The announcement sets up the potential for a crowded race to fill his seat in 2026.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/dwight-evans-retirement-congress-philadelphia-20250630.html

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Just breaking.

No worries. This is my district (PA-3) and it has been considered probably one of the bluest in the country. Dwight Evans has been recovering from a stroke last year but has been in some kind of elected public office for like forever (35 years in the PA state legislature) and took over from previous Rep. Chakah Fattah (who in turn took over from long term Philly politico Lucien Blackwell, who briefly took over the seat from storied Rep. Bill Gray).

[Tim S]

1. I guessing quoting from all the voters that voted for him isn't worth a headine??

[MuchBetterThanThis]

2. Yeah, right after the Tillis announcement 🤔

Basically a “both sides@ are doing it type thang🙄

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I certainly voted for him!

I think there was some rancor happening locally about whether it was time for him to go ahead and retire as he has been forced to miss votes due to his health. He hasn't really had much of any type of primary challenge in the past but this year it looks like things were about to change. This article came out 10 days ago (before today's announcement) -

Prominent Philly Dems, including party chair Sharif Street, are lining up for Dwight Evans’ U.S. House seat

Updated June 20, 2025, 4:52 p.m. ET | Published June 20, 2025, 4:14 p.m. ET


Democratic interest in primarying U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans is getting louder. State Sen. Sharif Street, the state Democratic Party chair, said Friday he is considering a primary run against the 71-year-old Philadelphia congressman who suffered a stroke last year. “I’m weighing my options but I have a tremendous amount of respect for the congressman,” said Street, 51, whose district includes parts of North Philadelphia. “Congressman Evans has had some real health challenges that everyone knows about and that obviously is causing us to stand ready.”

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, 40, who represents parts of West Philadelphia and chairs the Philadelphia delegation in Harrisburg, said it’s a race she is “absolutely considering.” “I’m assessing all situations, all circumstances, with whomever is in the race,” she said.

It’s a more forceful admission of interest than either has expressed before this week, given that Evans has spent 40 years in public office, first in Harrisburg and since 2016 in Congress. Street previously said he would not run as long as Evans sought reelection. A spokesperson for Evans’ campaign, Mike Dineen, said in a statement that “at this time the Congressman is still planning to run for reelection. He’s working hard for his constituents in Philadelphia and representing them down in Washington D.C.”

State Rep. Chris Rabb’s name has also been floated. The 55-year-old progressive lawmaker represents Mount Airy and parts of West Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill. He said while it’s not “on his bucket list ... if there was a call to action by the growing anti-fascist movement to recruit a progressive candidate for this congressional district, I would give it serious consideration.”

(snip)

Evans is literally the old-school liberal - very community-focused and not really ideological.

[Warpy]

4. He was a good Rep. for a long time

and thank you, Rep Evans, for your many years of service.

However, we're going to need younger and stronger people to deal with what's coming their way. The chaos King Fraud is injecting into the entire world economy is unlike anything people have faced since the end of the Bronze Age. It makes the slow strip mining of the working class done by Reagan and his rich pals look genteel by comparison. This is going to have to take a fight, and I'm talking blood on the House floor and spilling into the Senate.

The alternative is a slide into feudalism,.