Philly’s U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans says he’ll retire at end of term

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U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a fixture in Philadelphia politics for decades, has announced he will not run for reelection.

In a statement issued to the media, Evans says he will serve until the end of his current term, ending in January 2027.

Prior to serving in Congress, Evans represented Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane neighborhood in the state House for 36 years, where he was the first African American to chair the powerful Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee. He did so for two decades.

Evans suffered a stroke back in 2024. Former U.S. Congressman and Democratic Party Chair Bob Brady says that may have factored into his decision to retire.

“He’s doing the right thing, his health is more important than anything else, and this way he doesn’t have to worry about going back and forth, he can stay home and relax a little bit,” Brady said.

Evans was elected in 2016 to serve the 2nd congressional district, succeeding U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on corruption charges. Fattah was convicted in 2016 of misuse of funds, and released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of redistricting, Evans now represents the 3rd congressional district, which includes majority Democratic parts of Philadelphia, including Center City, West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. His departure creates the opportunity for a wide-open primary next year.

Philadelphia Republican Party head Vince Fenerty said the GOP would seek out a qualified candidate to run against whoever the Democrats nominate for the open seat. The Democrats have a 7-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans, so their candidate is usually assured a win.