Dwight Evans (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dwight Evans
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Official portrait, c. 2022
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania |
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| Assumed office November 14, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Chaka Fattah |
| Constituency | 2nd district (2016–2019) 3rd district (2019–present) |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 203rd district |
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| In office January 4, 1981 – November 14, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | James Jones |
| Succeeded by | Isabella Fitzgerald |
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| Born | May 16, 1954 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Community College of Philadelphia La Salle University (BA) |
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| Website | |
Dwight E. Evans (born May 16, 1954) is an American politician. He is a U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district. He has held this role since 2016. Mr. Evans is a member of the Democratic Party. Before joining Congress, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represented the 203rd district from 1981 to 2016.
Evans won his first election to Congress in 2016. He defeated the person who held the seat before him, Chaka Fattah, in the Democratic primary election. He then won a special election on November 8, 2016. This happened after Fattah left Congress. The district he represents was later renamed the 3rd congressional district in 2019. This area includes parts of Philadelphia. In June 2025, Evans shared that he would not run for re-election in 2026.
Contents
About Dwight Evans
Early Life and Education
Dwight Evans grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He lived in the Germantown and West Oak Lane areas. He finished high school in 1971. He then went to the Community College of Philadelphia, graduating in 1973. Later, he earned a degree from La Salle University in 1975. After college, he worked as a teacher in Philadelphia schools. He also helped people find jobs at the Urban League.
Serving in Pennsylvania
Evans was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1980. He represented the 203rd district. This area was in West Oak Lane, Philadelphia. It was a strong Democratic area. Evans was re-elected 18 times, serving until 2016.
In 1990, Evans became the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. This committee handles money matters for the state. He was the first African-American to lead this committee. He served in this important role for 20 years. In 2010, a newspaper called Philadelphia Tribune named him one of the 10 most important African-Americans in the city.
Running for Other Offices
Before he was elected to Congress, Evans ran for other high offices four times. He did not win these elections. In 1986, he tried to become the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. He finished third in that election.
In 1994, Evans made history. He was the first African American to run for governor of Pennsylvania. He received support from major newspapers like The Philadelphia Inquirer. He finished second in the primary election with 22% of the votes.
Evans also ran for mayor of Philadelphia two times. In 1999, he finished fifth in the primary election. In 2007, he ran again for mayor. Even though some people thought he was very qualified, he finished fifth again.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Elections to Congress
2016 Election
In November 2015, Evans announced he would run for Congress. He challenged the current representative, Chaka Fattah. In April 2016, Evans won the Democratic nomination. This was a big win because the district is very Democratic. Fattah later left Congress.
Because of this, Evans ran in two elections on November 8, 2016. He ran in a special election to finish Fattah's term. He also ran in a regular election for a full two-year term. He won both elections. He was sworn into office on November 14, 2016. This meant he had more experience than other new members of Congress. This district has been represented by Democrats since 1949. African-American congressmen have represented it since 1959.
2018 Election
Before the 2018 elections, the district lines were changed by a court order. Evans's district became the 3rd district. It still included most of Philadelphia. The new 3rd district was also very Democratic. Evans easily won his second full term against Republican Bryan Leib.
Later Elections
Evans was reelected in 2020. He won with 91% of the votes. In 2022, he won the Democratic primary and then the general election. In 2024, Evans won the Democratic primary again. He ran unopposed in the general election.
What He Does in Congress
In August 2017, Evans and another representative suggested a law. This law would ban Confederate monuments on federal land. This idea came after events in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Evans is part of important groups in Congress. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He is also part of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In May 2024, Evans shared that he had a minor stroke. He took some time away from Congress to recover. He returned to Washington in January 2025. In June 2025, Evans announced that he would not run for re-election in 2026. He plans to finish his current term.
His Committee Work
Dwight Evans serves on two important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on Ways and Means: This committee deals with taxes and other money matters.
- Committee on Small Business: This committee helps small businesses.
Groups He Belongs To
Evans is also a member of several caucuses, which are groups of lawmakers who share common interests:
His Views on Issues
A group called FiveThirtyEight looked at how Evans voted. They found that he voted with President Joe Biden's ideas 100% of the time in the 117th Congress.
Crime and Safety
In September 2018, Evans voted against a bill about community safety. In 2021, he voted for bills that would make background checks stronger for buying guns. In April 2022, Evans shared a plan to fight gun violence. His plan included several steps and a large amount of money.
Health Care
Evans has supported bills in Congress that would offer a public health insurance option.
Housing
In 2021, Evans announced a plan called "Housing Is Essential." This plan, which he worked on with other representatives, aimed to help with housing needs.
Impeachment of Donald Trump
Evans was one of the first members of Congress to support the idea of impeaching President Donald Trump. He voted for the impeachment resolutions in 2019 and 2021.
Infrastructure
Evans voted for President Joe Biden's plan to improve roads, bridges, and other public systems. This plan included a program he helped lead, which aims to reconnect communities.
Israel-Palestine
Evans voted to provide support to Israel after the events of October 7, 2023.
Ukraine
In 2022, the Russian government placed sanctions on Evans. This happened because he supported giving aid to Ukraine.
Personal Life
Dwight Evans has never married. He is known for keeping his private life very personal. In May 2024, he announced that he had a minor stroke.
See also
