State Rep. Morgan Cephas is running for Dwight Evans’ seat in Congress

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, a West Philadelphia native who has been in the legislature since 2016, is running for Congress.

Cephas joins an already crowded 2026 Democratic primary field that includes her colleagues state Sen. Sharif Street and state Rep. Chris Rabb.

“I’ve worked my entire career to make sure that government is working for working families,” Cephas told The Inquirer in an interview ahead of her planned campaign launch Wednesday morning. “And that’s just not what’s happening in this moment.”

The heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District seat, representing half of Philadelphia, will be open for the first time in more than a decade after U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announced his plan to retire at the end of his term.

Evans will serve out his term, which ends in December 2026.

Cephas, 41, who worked as deputy chief of staff to Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., enters the race with allies in West Philadelphia and experience leading Philly legislators in the House as caucus chair.

She touted her ability to move legislation when Democrats were in the minority in the Pennsylvania House, including a maternal health bill that expanded Medicaid coverage for pregnant people. Cephas said she’d work to get Democrats up and down the ballot elected, noting the polarizing similarities she’s seen between a divided Harrisburg and Washington.

“I am adamant that we have to take back the Congress to reverse all of this madness, but then also make sure that we are delivering real time for people here, particularly in Philadelphia,” she said.

Kellan White, a Democratic strategist in the city who is neutral in the race, predicted Cephas’ West Philly roots and age will help her. “She’s well-liked and respected. She is the youngest in the race at a time when people want change and youthful energy, but she has experience being in Harrisburg for almost a decade,” he said.

Cephas announced her run as lawmakers in Harrisburg remain at an impasse over SEPTA funding, and budget negotiations slog on. Philadelphians, meanwhile, have started to feel the effects of massive cuts in service absent additional state funding. Cephas noted she played a role in arranging a partnership with Uber to offer free rides to seniors as the service reductions are slated to continue.

Before Evans’ election in 2016, the seat was held by longtime U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a titan of West Philadelphia politics before he was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of charges including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, and bank fraud.

From the moment in June when Evans announced his retirement, rumors mounted about a frenzy of interest for the seat, which is among the safest for Democrats in the country.

All three of the state lawmakers now vying for Congress have potential lanes to victory. Street, 51, the former state party chair who announced his resignation last week in light of his congressional run, has the benefit of name recognition from his time at the helm, and his father was a two-term Philadelphia mayor. He also could use his Democratic Party network to his fundraising advantage. Rabb, 55, an independent-minded lawmaker from the Northwest, will likely run as the most progressive candidate on the slate.

Dave Oxman, an intensive care physician, has also announced his candidacy, and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services director Ala Stanford is rumored to be considering a run.

Cephas is one of four sisters, and was raised by her mom, a retired member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 47. She said hearing her mom and other retirees worry about their Medicare and Social Security amid cuts championed by President Donald Trump’s administration also prompted her decision to run for the open congressional seat.

“She should actually be enjoying her retirement,” Cephas said. “But again, these are challenges that people are facing.”

An earlier version of this story misstated Dr. Ala Stanford’s former position.