Patrick Kennedy not only backed Jack Evans in his 2016 re-election bid for the Ward 2 seat the DC Council member has held since 1991 — he chaired the campaign. But with Evans’ electoral fortunes having taken an uncertain turn amid ethics scandals, Kennedy is launching a campaign of his own to replace the political stalwart.
Kennedy, a Foggy Bottom resident now in his fourth two-year term on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A, announced last week that he will challenge Evans for the Ward 2 council seat in next year’s election. Kennedy filed papers April 8 with the Office of Campaign Finance declaring his candidacy.
Evans, whose 28-year tenure makes him by far DC’s longest-serving lawmaker, ran unopposed in the last two election cycles and drew 64 percent of the votes in his 2008 primary win against Cary Silverman, his most recent Democratic challenger. But now Evans is facing mounting political pressure due to two recent ethics scandals: one involving his consulting firm’s dealings with a digital sign company that that sought favorable legislation in the District, and another in which Evans used a government email address to leverage his position on the council in business proposals to law firms.
Kennedy, a 27-year-old transportation wonk who plans to run on the political left of Evans, said the ethics questions surrounding Evans were enough to inspire him to run. The DC Council voted unanimously to reprimand Evans in March and followed up this month by stripping the Committee on Finance and Revenue, which he chairs, of responsibilities such as oversight of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Events DC.
“He put his personal finances above [the interests] of the constituents,” Kennedy told The DC Line. “It felt like a breach of trust.” When the scandals broke, Kennedy knew he would run.
Evans, whose office did not respond to a request for comment, is scheduled to provide an update on Ward 2 and citywide issues at ANC 2A’s meeting on Wednesday. In recent weeks, he has made similar presentations at community meetings in Georgetown, Dupont Circle and other Ward 2 neighborhoods.
Kennedy, a progressive Florida native who works as a data analyst and serves as treasurer of the Ward 2 Democrats and a board member of the Foggy Bottom Association, was first elected to ANC 2A in 2012 during his sophomore year at George Washington University. He said in an interview that he supports revamping transportation infrastructure with dedicated bus and bike lanes, changing zoning regulations to allow for more affordable housing, making education more equitable, and executing more careful oversight of government agencies.
While Kennedy has tried to assert himself as a candidate more in tune with issues facing contemporary Washington than Evans, some residents are wary of the close working relationship Kennedy has had with the council member. Kennedy said he has disagreed with Evans’ stances on certain issues, such as the incumbent’s support of partial public financing for Audi Field and Nationals Park, but wasn’t inclined to distance himself from Evans until District Dig, a local news website, revealed an apparent conflict of interest between Evans’ consulting firm and his work as a public servant.
“Nobody has a spotless record, especially if you’ve been in politics as long has [Evans] has,” Kennedy said of his thinking in the lead-up to the 2016 campaign. “I didn’t see any way to be effective in the ANC without a relationship with Jack.”
Despite the ongoing probe into Evans’ alleged breach of ethics — from which Evans has said he expects to be cleared, a point Kennedy says Evans made when the two spoke on the phone prior to the campaign announcement — defeating Evans will be no easy feat. Evans took office as Ward 2 council member after winning a hotly contested special election in 1991, the year Kennedy was born. Evans has immense political clout in the ward and a vast fundraising network, which includes businesspeople who make substantial campaign contributions.
When Evans ran unopposed in 2016, he raised more than $227,000 with an average donation of $358. Kennedy said he cannot compete with Evans for big donors.
Sheridan-Kalorama advisory neighborhood commissioner David Bender will chair Kennedy’s campaign, and Foggy Bottom Association president Marina Streznewski will serve as treasurer.
Streznewski said their campaign will be the first to participate in the District’s new Fair Elections Program, which went into effect May 5. Candidates in DC Council ward races qualify for the program if they raise at least $40,000 with contributions of no more than $50 each. After that mark, District government will match subsequent small donations at a ratio of 5-to-1.
“I’m not playing the same game, and I don’t hope to play the same game,” Kennedy said about Evans’ knack for attracting big campaign contributions. “And even if I did, I couldn’t beat him at it.”
Kennedy does not expect to be the only challenger to Evans. He said he knows “a number of people” who are considering running and foresees a competitive race. One potential candidate considering a run is Logan Circle advisory neighborhood commission chair John Fanning, according to a recent Washington City Paper article. Fanning was one of three Democratic challengers to run against Evans in 2000, finishing in second place in the Democratic primary with 17.9 percent to Evans’ 66.3 percent.
For now, however, it’s a two-horse field this time, Streznewski said.
“You have this person with all this fundraising prowess against this little guy,” Streznewski said. “That’s the state of the race right now.”
When, where?