PHILADELPHIA — State Sen. Sharif Street, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party chairman, launched his campaign for Congress on Tuesday, pitching himself as the son of a hot dog vendor-turned-mayor who could bring his experience from North Philadelphia to Washington.

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, 71, who has represented Philadelphia’s Third Congressional District since 2016, announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his term in January 2027.

That opened up what could be a crowded and heated primary for the most Democratic-leaning district in Congress.

Street, 51, has long been eyeing the seat and enters the race with name recognition — his father, John F. Street, was Philadelphia’s mayor from 2000 to 2008. Sharif Street has been chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party since 2022, and a state senator since 2016, when he became the first Muslim person elected to the governing body. Before being elected to the statehouse, Street worked as a staffer in the Pennsylvania Senate.

Street launched a website and a “Sharif Street for Congress” social media account Tuesday morning. On Monday, he lauded Evans’ 45-year career in elected office and said simply that as of Tuesday he would be “all in” on the race.

Street represents North Philadelphia, and he leaned into his upbringing on his website.

“Growing up in the hood provided Sharif with perspective, an experience he used to develop a platform of policies that are personal to him,” his campaign website reads. “But, the sad reality is that people are struggling with the same problems all across Pennsylvania.”

Street enters the primary race, which is more than 10 months away, as an early front-runner.

“He has played politics well. He’s made strong relationships with community leaders, with other elected officials, with unions. He’s a known quantity,” said Kellan White, a political consultant in Philadelphia who has worked on presidential and mayoral races here. “His time as Democratic chair has given him access to fundraising, and he’s plugged in with national Democrats.”

At the same time, White noted the rarity of an open primary in the city and predicted a crowded field will emerge.

“Every single elected official under a certain age who lives in the district is at least thinking about it,” White said.

Under Street’s leadership, the state party has had mixed success, largely tracing nationwide trends. Democrats in Pennsylvania picked up big wins in the 2022 midterms, only to lose the presidency and a key Senate seat in 2024.

Turnout continued to drop in the Third Congressional District in Philadelphia last year as President Donald Trump significantly improved his margins there. The Pennsylvania state House was a rare bright spot for Democrats, though, as they were able to hang on to a narrow majority.

Other contenders

Several colleagues of Street’s in Harrisburg have already indicated interest.

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, who represents West Philadelphia, has said she is considering a run, as is State Rep. Chris Rabb, a progressive lawmaker from Mount Airy.

The Pennsylvania Working Families Party is also looking at the race and considering getting involved, according to someone with knowledge of the deliberations not at liberty to speak publicly about ongoing internal conversations.

The Working Families Party elected two at-large City Council members in 2023.

Two lesser-known first-time candidates had filed paperwork to run before Evans announced his decision.

Robin Toldens, a former city government employee, told The Inquirer on Monday she would prioritize pushing for the federal legalization of recreational marijuana in her campaign.

“Every state bordering Pennsylvania, except West Virginia, has legalized recreational marijuana. Over the past five years, we’ve watched hundreds of millions in potential revenue slip away while the General Assembly stalls,” she said. “That’s money we could be using to fund SEPTA, invest in our schools, and build a more equitable economy.”

David Oxman, 58, an intensive-care physician who lives in Bella Vista, is also a first-time candidate. He said he thinks there is an appetite for a nonpolitician in a moment when the health of the city and country feels “under attack.”

“Thousands in this city are about to lose their insurance through Medicaid; that not only threatens them but threatens the viability of medical centers,” he said, referencing the federal budget reconciliation bill that would reduce funding for Medicaid. “… Thirty percent of jobs in the city are related to meds and eds, so speaking to those issues from experience is very important and I think I could bring something special to those conversations.”

The majority of Philadelphia is in Evans’ Third Congressional District and the Second Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat, since 2015. Both seats have historically belonged to lawmakers who hold on to them for a long time.

“It is a safe Democratic seat and will be safe for eternity,” said Larry Ceisler, a public affairs consultant in the city, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-1. The Third Congressional District is even more Democratic than the city as a whole.

“This is the type of seat where you want somebody who is going to build seniority so they can help the city of Philadelphia,” Ceisler said. “It’s not a seat where you want someone who’s going to want to run for statewide office. You want someone who is looking to be there 20 years.”

_____

©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.