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Evans faced mounting questions about his ability to serve after suffering a stroke last year and missing months of votes. He insisted until recently he still intended to run for reelection, though several primary challengers were already starting to make moves.
'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 reelection in 2026.'
Evans, 71, has served in Congress since 2016. He succeeded Rep. Chaka Fattah, who resigned after being indicted on federal corruption charges, and is one of six Pennsylvanians on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
His retirement announcement comes amid generational upheaval in the Democratic Party. Longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said earlier this year she wouldn't run again. The party base has looked to their leaders to mount a more vigorous response to President Donald Trump, with some in the party calling for primary challenges to senior leaders.
Evans' retirement could kick off a fierce battle between establishment Democrats and progressives for the Philadelphia-area seat, and several possible candidates are already weighing campaigns. Democratic socialists have made headway in the city, particularly at the state level, and pro-Israel groups and the liberal Working Families Party are eyeing the race, according to multiple Democrats.
'This is completely wide open,' said a high-level Philadelphia Democrat who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. 'There is not one person I can see who I would deem the front-runner.'
State Sen. Sharif Street, chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, has expressed interest in running for Evans' seat. A second Democrat granted anonymity to speak freely said Street could kick off his campaign as early as Tuesday, though other Democrats said an official announcement could come later. State Rep. Morgan Cephas, who is close to the city's influential building trades unions, is eyeing the seat as well, as is progressive state Rep. Chris Rabb.
'Me and my team are strongly considering a bid,' Cephas told POLITICO Monday. 'But first and foremost I wanted to express my overwhelming gratitude to the work that Congressman Evans has done for the city of Philadelphia.'
Rabb said in a text that 'I am seriously considering running for this seat.'
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, another progressive, said his supporters have 'encouraged me to consider a run.' But he said he has 'nothing to announce,' adding that 'today is about Dwight Evans' and 'honoring his legacy.'
In a sign of how hotly contested the race could become, some Democrats are already attacking Street publicly and privately before he jumps into the contest.
J.J. Balaban, a Democratic consultant who lives in Evans' district, said he opposes a potential bid by Street because in 2021 he worked with a powerful Republican to craft a proposed congressional redistricting map. His plan was not ultimately successful.
'Any good Democrat should hope it's not Sharif Street because of how he tried to sell out the Democratic delegation,' said Balaban. 'We would have fewer congressional seats if he had carried the day.'
Street did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the time, Street defended his work with Republicans, saying 'it's our job to negotiate the best that we can.'
Street has made some recent efforts to make inroads with progressives, including by endorsing liberal Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner in his successful primary reelection campaign this year over a more moderate challenger.
The extent to which Evans does — or doesn't — get involved in helping determine his successor will also shape the race. A Democrat familiar with Evans' thinking said he is 'going to wait and see what the field will look like' before deciding whether to endorse a candidate in the primary.
'Plenty of time to make a decision,' the person added.
Rumors have swirled for months about Evans' future, and some Democrats speculated that he might step down in the middle of his term, which would have given power to the city's Democratic ward leaders to choose a nominee for a special election. But Evans said Wednesday that he 'will serve out the full term that ends Jan. 3, 2027.'
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