This year, Pennsylvania’s 3rd District — spanning most of Center City, Fairmount, Northwest Philadelphia, and much of West and South Philly — will elect a new congressperson to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 10 years, as a result of Democrat Dwight Evans’s retirement.

The primary race for Evans’ seat on May 19 has quickly drawn a large number of candidates, representing nearly every faction of the Democratic Party.

At forums around town, candidates have shared their views on everything from healthcare and housing policies, to how Congress should handle President Donald Trump. Few, however, have asked them how they’ve learned from failure, how they manage their teams, and what from their careers demonstrates their ability to get shit done for constituents.

That’s where The Citizen’s Ultimate Job Interview comes in.

We’ve invited the four leading candidates in terms of fundraising and polling — State Representative Morgan Cephas, State Representative Chris Rabb, Dr. Ala Stanford and State Senator Sharif Street — to participate in a public job interview.

Maggy Wilkinson, CEO of Athena Global Advisors, and Marcel S. Pratt, managing partner at Ballard Spahr, will take the stage and spend 20 minutes with each candidate, asking them the kinds of questions about leadership, character, management, experience and priorities that job applicants face. The event, which will be held starting at 5:30 pm on March 31 at the Fitler Club in Center City, will be moderated by 6abc’s Matt O’Donnell.

You can register for the event here.

In preparation for the event, we asked Philadelphians to help us create a job description for U.S. Congressperson, then consulted with former Reps. Charlie Dent, a Republican who represented PA’s 15th district, and Patrick Murphy, a Democrat who represented PA’s 8th district.

Job title: U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s Third District

Hours: About 147 legislative days per year, over a two year term. Plus 70+ hour weeks, both when congress is in and out of session.

Job summary:

The congressperson for Pennsylvania’s Third District is the voice for more than 740,000 Philadelphians in the U.S. House of Representatives. They act as a champion for their constituents’ legislative and spending priorities, while also frequently communicating with them about what’s happening in Washington and providing a range of constituent services.

The ideal candidate will frequently communicate with their constituents, to adapt to their changing needs, and will craft and fight for legislative solutions that meet their needs and wants.

The candidate should be capable of working with their colleagues — of both political parties — and be an eager collaborator with federal, state and city level politicians, as well as other stakeholders, to best position the district.

Job responsibilities:

Serve the constituents of Pennsylvania’s Third District, one of the most racially and economically diverse districts in the state, by crafting legislation and protecting their economic prosperity via federal tax and spending decisions for the $7.01 trillion federal budget. Meet with constituents in-person at offices in D.C. and in the district, at town halls, at businesses, in schools, in places of worship etc. to understand their legislative priorities. Communicate with constituents regularly in-person, in the press and via social media. Offer constituent services and be available to help constituents access things like social security benefits or provide assistance with Veterans Affairs claims. Represent every constituent in the district — whether they voted for you or not. Protect the rights of constituents as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and serve as a check on executive and legislative branches. Travel back to the district weekly at minimum while Congress is in session. Serve on committees, strategize and debate with colleagues in Washington to advocate for and craft legislation that is beneficial to the district. Work with other leading Pennsylvania politicians, like the state’s U.S. Senators and the governor to bring opportunity to the area. Work with business leaders to craft public-private partnerships that serve the interests and needs of constituents. Hire and manage a staff of up to 18 full time and four part-time employees. Hire and manage a legislative team including a legislative director, two legislative assistants and a legislative correspondent at minimum. Work well with other levels of government — state and city.

What is needed:

A well-researched, well-thought out plan to fight for the interests of constituents and the policies that matter to them. The ability to advocate for constituents’ needs Demonstrated leadership and the ability to build teams and get shit done. Leadership that inspires confidence in public office and actions that align with values and promises made to constituents. Strong debate skills. A willingness to break down polarization and tribalism and work toward bipartisan solutions. The ability to build bridges between people of differing viewpoints and foster a sense of community. The ability to make mistakes and ask for help. The ability to stand up for what you believe in. Conflict management skills and ability to interact with adversarial colleagues. Empathy, warmth and charisma. Humility in the face of power. A strong sense of customer service. Ability to comfortably interact with people from diverse backgrounds. The highest level of integrity in all interactions and dealings.

Compensation and benefits:

$174,000 annual salary. Health and life insurance, mandatory participation in Social Security. Allowances for travel, office expenses and mail. Upside: you get to make sure your neighbors have a voice in shaping the future of the U.S. government.

We first held Ultimate Job Interviews during Philadelphia’s 2023 mayoral primary and have continued it over the years for a number of races, including the 2024 attorney general primary and general election and the 2025 district attorney primary.

PREVIOUS ULTIMATE JOB INTERVIEWS

Left to right: State Senator Sharif Street, Dr. Ala Stanford, PA Representative Chris Rabb and PA Representative Morgan Cephas.