News & Politics

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans being treated for minor stroke

The Philadelphia Democrat said he expects to return to Washington in six weeks

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans The Office of Governor Tom Wolf

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announced Thursday that he is undergoing inpatient treatment following a minor stroke. 

Evans, a 70-year-old Democrat who has represented Philadelphia in Congress since 2016, said he received the diagnosis this week days after unknowingly suffering a stroke. 

“I wanted to let my constituents know that I am recovering from a minor stroke, and I want to emphasize the word minor,” Evans said in a statement. “It was minor enough that I didn’t even realize what had happened for a few days. The main impact seems to be some difficulty with one leg, which will probably impact my walking for some time, but not my long-term ability to serve the people of Philadelphia.”

In the statement, Evans said he’s recovering in an inpatient rehabilitation facility, where he expects to be for about another week. He added that he expects to be back in Washington in about six weeks, following his completion of outpatient therapy. 

Commonwealth politicians have already begun expressing well wishes for Evans. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis both posted on X wishing him a speedy recovery. 

Evans represents Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.