The Chamber of the House of Representatives of the United States. (Photo by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
There are 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and all are up for election this year. Currently there are 209 Republicans and 221 Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Penn is in Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District, which has been represented by incumbent Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.). He is running against Democrats Michael Cogbill and Alexandra Hunt this year.
Democrats
Dwight Evans
Evans, the incumbent, was a public school teacher in Philadelphia before being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Evans’ policy goals include increasing access to fresh food and affordable housing, improving public education, and keeping communities safe.
Evans said that if elected, he will fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aims to restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“There is nothing more fundamental to this democracy than the right to vote,” Evans wrote in a statement emailed to the DP. “The movement by Republicans and their supporters across this country to put up barriers and restrictions to voting is un-American and must be stopped."
Michael Cogbill
Cogbill served as an organizing coordinator and political director for the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, a community organizer for the gun violence prevention organization CeaseFirePA, Pennsylvania political chair for the NAACP, and worked on Josh Shapiro’s attorney general campaign.
Cogbill wrote in a statement emailed to the DP that, if elected, he hopes to address gun violence by advancing legislation such as the expansion of background checks and making ghost gun printing illegal.
Cogbill wrote he also hopes to address education inequities and other human rights issues.
“Penn students who care about our human rights and justice and equity for all people should vote for me," Cogbill wrote to the DP. "For the students who care about Black Lives Matter, reproductive rights, and gay and trans liberation, or gun violence prevention — I'm your guy.”
Alexandra Hunt
Hunt has held a variety of employment positions prior to her involvement in the political realm. She has worked as a stripper and a server to make ends meet, which allowed her to develop a passion for addressing issues faced by working-class people.
Her policy goals include implementing a wealth tax, supporting Medicare for All, reforming the education system, and strengthening gun violence prevention initiatives.
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