U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans of Philadelphia says he won't run for reelection

HARRISBURG — U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans said Monday that he will not seek reelection to his Philadelphia seat, capping a career in public office that stretches back 45 years.

Evans, a Democrat, said in a statement that he decided that “the time is right” to retire after his term is up in early 2027. Evans, 71, said he is in good health and capable of serving, a year after he suffered what he has called a minor stroke.

Evans is serving his fifth term. He originally ran for Congress in 2016 against then-U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a fellow Democrat who had been seeking a 12th term in Congress while under federal indictment.

Prior to that, Evans served for 36 years in the state House of Representatives, rising to become Appropriations Committee chairman, and the first Black chairman of the powerful committee. He was first elected when he was just 26.

Evans’ Philadelphia district is heavily Democratic and a crowded 2026 Democratic primary — possibly including state Sen. Sharif Street, the state Democratic Party chair — is possible to determine a successor in the seat.