Candidate Profile: Jack Evans For Ward 2 Seat On DC Council

WASHINGTON, DC — There are 29 candidates running for the D.C. City Council in the June 2 primary. In addition, candidates will be facing off in a June 16 special election to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat.

Patch asked the candidates to describe their qualifications and visions for the District.

Jack Evans, 66, is a Democrat running in the June 2 Primary and the June 16 Special Election for the vacant Ward 2 seat.

Family

Christine Evans, 23
Katherine Evans, 23
John Evans, 23

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, BS Economics
University of Pittsburgh, School of Law JD

Occupation

Council member: 29 years
Lawyer: 42 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Elected: DC Council member, May 1991 - January 2020

Campaign website

evansward2.com

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

I have the proven experience of crafting budgets and passing legislation that makes me a proven leader who will keep DC moving forward.

Compared to any of the other candidates running for office, I have the vision, the knowledge, and the ability to help get our businesses back open, our citizens back to work, and DC back on the path to financial stability.

Now more than ever, DC needs a tested leader with the experience to guide the city through another moment of economic uncertainty. I posses the expertise, business acumen and the proven record to keep the city growing in the right direction.

How will you help the city recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus?

The DC government must provide resources that gets our businesses back open and our employees back to work. We need to manage our finances wisely.

Raising taxes to attempt to cover the $1 billion loss in this recession environment would be a real mistake and make life only more difficult for residents and businesses trying to survive. We could be reeling from the effects of this pandemic for months instead of weeks and still not fully recover for years. The Mayor and the Council will have to make difficult and very unpopular decisions. In 1995, the District government failed to do so and it cannot afford to fail again.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser has talked about the longstanding inequities that have been exposed by the coronavirus. She also has talked about this being an opportunity for the city to address those inequities. What are your thoughts on this?

In 1991, I envisioned a living, thriving inner-city, and together we accomplished it. Today, I have a vision for an even greater DC. There’s a path for DC to continue being America’s greatest city. Although not exciting, budgets are more than numbers on paper. They are how we are going to rebuild and revitalize our city and make it even better for everyone.

It starts with protecting the most vulnerable affected by the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue creating better paying jobs, continue supporting our small businesses - the backbone of our local economy - continue improving our neighborhoods, and making housing affordable for all income levels and healthcare available for those who require it.

What do you see as the biggest issue besides the coronavirus recovery facing D.C.?

Financial solvency of the District of Columbia. The challenges threatening the District’s economic footing are immediate and enormous. Just as we want people to be healthy and safe, we also want people to have a job when this crisis is over where they can support themselves and their family. As a city we will all face tough decisions over at least the next two to five years and the well-being of every person is at stake.

What is your position on statehood for D.C.?

I strongly support and vigorously advocate for DC statehood.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have 30 years of accomplishments resulting in Washington, DC being the most dynamic city in America.

District-wide leadership:
- Negotiated the deal to build the Nationals’ Ballpark to create thousands of good-paying jobs and revitalize the Navy Yard Neighborhood.
- Fought for seniors on a fixed income through lowering their property taxes so they can stay in their homes.
- Passed legislation to hire hundreds of additional law enforcement officers to keep our streets safe and allow our neighborhoods to flourish.
- Co-sponsoring and securing the votes to pass the School Modernization and Financing Act, providing the pathway and funding for the modernization of every public school in the city.
- Working with neighborhoods, businesses, and the City Council to secure the Washington Convention Center, the Capital-One Arena, Nationals Park, the Convention Center Hotel, and most recently, Audi Field. All which is attracting new businesses, revitalizing neighborhoods and growing DC’s tax base.

Investing in neighborhoods:
- Worked to revitalize Downtown, Penn Quarter, the 14th Street Corridor and Logan Circle.
- Sponsored legislation that helped eradicate the public prostitution that kept tourists and residents out of downtown neighborhoods.
- Supported the Neighborhood Investment Fund and Great Streets programs that created conditions for small business growth across the District.
- Worked to keep local neighborhood businesses in their neighborhoods by passing the Small Business Commercial Property Tax Relief Act.
- Lead the passage of legislation to enact Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). Today, there are eleven active BIDs across the city, which provide specialized services for commercial areas and have helped spur economic growth and community development.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The late John Wilson, whom in 1991, I replaced as Council member of Ward 2 when he went on to be elected Chairman of at the Council, shared with me this piece of advice, "Learn how to count to seven." It takes seven votes to pass legislation through the council.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm a single father of three children. My wife, Noel passed away at the age of 46 of breast cancer when our children were six-years old. I have life experiences that gave me great insight on how to represent the residents of Ward 2.

I’m proud of my record. But there remains more to be accomplished.

We are experiencing a health and economic crisis that will affect every community - and test our elected officials. My experience fighting for the rights of all residents: seniors, the LGBTQ community, the immigrant community; balancing budgets and recovering from economic recessions; collaborating with small businesses, developers and historic preservationists; and, housing and neighborhood activists, makes me the strongest candidate for this moment.

I will work hard to continue to improve all our resident's quality of life: public safety, housing and education; encourage job growth, and support small businesses. I promise to bring the same energy and determination to solve new problems as I have done over my entire career in public service.

Read Other Ward 2 Candidate Profiles:

• John Fanning
• Jordan Grossman
• Patrick Kennedy
• Brooke Pinto
• Kishan Putta
• Katherine Venice
• Yilin Zhang