The 3rd Congressional District has a highly competitive primary for the first time in 35 years. From the son of a former mayor to a famous doctor to a high-profile state representative, here’s what you need to know before you head to the polls.
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It was a reasonably big deal last June when Democratic Representative Dwight Evans, who reps the 3rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania (Northwest Philly, West Philly, and most of Center City and North Philly), announced his retirement after suffering a minor stroke: It’s been 35 years since the seat repping that swath of the city was open. Now, a heaping handful of Philly pols are taking a shot at it in a jam-packed primary race with no fewer than a dozen candidates — a slate that includes, among others, the son of a former mayor, a famous doctor, and a high-profile state representative.
Even so, the race isn’t exactly a nail-biter, in the sense that this particular district has the most solidly Democratic voting base of the 435 House districts in the country. “This seat is not in danger of turning red. This seat has nothing to do with flipping the House [for Democrats],” says Mustafa Rashed, CEO of government affairs firm Bellevue Strategies. Instead, it all may come down to on-the-ground politics: In a low-turnout race, as this is expected to be, the winner is the one with the best get-out-the-vote game. Could that be State Senator Sharif Street, who has the twin GOTV behemoths of Ryan Boyer’s building trades and Bob Brady’s City Committee machine behind him? Or State Representative Chris Rabb, who might most appeal to progressives, a highly motivated voting bloc? Or Ala Stanford, the doctor who still benefits from a ton of goodwill thanks to her heroism during COVID?
Ultimately, voters may choose a candidate for myopic reasons, but if Philly wants to get the very most out of this seat, more than one insider believes it would be wise to focus on the future.
“It’s always best to consider youth in these situations,” says public affairs executive Larry Ceisler. “If you look at Brendan Boyle [the Democratic representative who was elected in 2014 at the age of 37], he’s potentially poised to one day be the Speaker of the House. And that’s because he was elected when he was young.”
Whether it’s age, endorsements, or the razor-thin policy differences between the candidates, voters will have to make their decisions based on something before the May 19th primary. Here, ahead of that election, a quick snapshot of the three people most likely to be headed to Washington, D.C., in January.
Join us on March 31, to hear from the leading candidates about why we should hire them for the open job. Unlike most candidate forums in which politicians are asked the same policy questions over and over, the purpose of The Philadelphia Citizen’s Ultimate Job Interview is to interview candidates for the jobs they are seeking by asking them the kinds of questions about leadership, character, management, experience and priorities that job applicants face. Each candidate will be interviewed for about 20 minutes by a panel of hiring executives. We will hear from leading candidates: State Representative Chris Rabb, Dr. Ala Stanford, and State Senator Sharif Street. RSVP here.
The Socialist
Age: 56
Titles: Five-term state representative from Northwest Philly
Known for: Being a Democratic Socialist and outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform
Fundraising: $384,066
Differentiator: Progressives have been gaining momentum across the country — looking at you, New York City — and especially in a low-turnout race, Rabb may have the advantage as Philly’s version of AOC.
Claim to Fame: His great-great-grandfather founded the longest-running Black–owned newspaper in the U.S.
Vulnerability: Rabb’s legislative record has consisted of more resolutions than actual laws, raising the question of whether or not he can reach across the aisle to deliver some desperately needed action in Congress.
Notable Supporters: Democratic Socialists of America, Ward 1, Reclaim Philadelphia, Mount Airy Democrats, One Pennsylvania
The Insiders’ Outsider
Age: 56
Titles: Pediatric surgeon, Penn professor, founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and the Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity
Known for: Bravely pushing for vaccinations in Black and brown communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a national voice of clear-eyed expertise
Fundraising: $463,227
Differentiator: Armed with Evans’s endorsement and a team of veteran strategists, including Joe Hill (Cozen O’Connor) and Kellan White (former campaign manager for Rebecca Rhynhart), Stanford is not your average first-time candidate. “She’s surrounded herself with well-respected people who know how to win campaigns in Philly,” says Neil Oxman.
Claim to Fame: She’s Will Smith’s doctor. (Yes, that Will Smith.)
Vulnerability: No legislative experience
Notable Supporters: Representative Dwight Evans, former Mayor Michael Nutter, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The “I Got a Guy” Guy
Age: 56
Titles: Three-term state senator, longtime chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, son of former Mayor John Street
Known for: Moderate “establishment” positions (pro-growth tax policy, legalizing cannabis) and machine-style politics
Fundraising: $700,845
Differentiator: Both the Democratic City Committee and Ryan Boyer’s building trades — which helped catapult Cherelle Parker to victory in 2023 — are behind him, giving Street two powerful GOTV operations. Plus, as Ceisler notes, “the Street name is still a good brand in this city.”
Claim to Fame: Street grew up on politics, following both his father and his uncle, former State Representative and Senator Milton Street, into the business.
Vulnerability: Could a prior beef with Governor Josh Shapiro signal trouble for the front-runner?
Notable Supporters: Ed Rendell (former mayor/governor), Cindy Bass (City Council), Bob Brady (former congressman, chair of the Philly Democratic Party), the building trade unions
Fundraising numbers are based on 2025 year-end campaign finance reports. The 2026 Q1 fundraising deadline is April 15th.
Published as “The Race to Replace Dwight Evans” in the April 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine. Editor’s note: The print version included candidates David Oxman and Morgan Cephas, who have since dropped out.